Small Taco Truck Company Bashed for Serving 'All Communities'—Including ICE Workers

The company was criticized for serving ICE employees, then criticized for apologizing.

A taco truck company has angered both liberals and conservatives by selling tacos indiscriminately to any customers willing to pay for them.

The bipartisan outrage over the sale of tacos originated after Lloyd Taco Trucks, a food truck fleet in upstate New York that also operates two restaurants, sold tacos to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) workers near a federal detention center in Batavia last Wednesday.

Several people tweeted their dismay at the company:

How about instead of providing for government bootlickers, you guys come to the GM plant and give the workers on strike some tacos? Just food for thought.

— Şคpphค ✡????️‍???????????????????????????????????? (@SickSadSappha) October 24, 2019

https://twitter.com/vinyl_glutton/status/1187237949500542981

Lloyd then decided to denounce its own sale of food to ICE employees rather than deal with allegations that the company was biased against immigrants. In a statement, the company reiterated its support for local immigrant communities and vowed to improve "internal procedure[s] to ensure future truck stops and events align with [the] company's values." They even stated that they were going to donate the proceeds from the ICE sales to Justice for Migrant Families, an immigrant advocacy group based in New York.

However, even Lloyd's apology drew the ire of immigration activists. Jennifer Connor, the executive director of Justice for Migrant Families, the very group Lloyd had announced it was going to donate to, responded to Lloyd's statement saying, "While Lloyd's prides itself on its support of immigrants, this incident shows it can still do better," pointing out that this is "not the first time" Lloyd had reconsidered its business decisions. Lloyd had previously partnered with Uber to give away free tacos to the people of Buffalo in an effort to help the company expand to the city. This was after the ride-sharing company came under fire for continuing to ferry people to JFK International Airport in the midst of taxi cab strikes over President Donald Trump's "Muslim ban." Connor concluded her complaints with an invitation to Lloyd's management to join Justice for Migrant families in their next training session on immigrant detention. So, even an apology from the company led to further hectoring.

Meanwhile, conservatives couldn't pass up a chance to defend law enforcement. State Senator Rob Ortt (R–North Tonawanda) posted on Twitter:

In what world does a company feel the need to apologize for serving food to federal law enforcement officers who work in dangerous conditions? Pathetic pandering. The men and women who work to enforce our immigration laws and protect us deserve better. https://t.co/0LUqpxrDZn

— Rob Ortt (@SenatorOrtt) October 24, 2019

Likewise, people flocked to Facebook and Twitter to express their dismay at the taco truck's willingness to bend to liberal critics. ICE itself couldn't resist taking a shot at the food truck company, accusing it of discriminating against the agency and its employees.

The backlash resulted in Pete Cimino, one of the company's co-founders, issuing yet another statement about how the company ventures "to all neighborhoods" and is "not political." Cimino insists that they "acted too quickly" in caving under criticism for serving ICE workers, reiterating that Lloyd wants to "make lunch and dinner, not policy."

It's hard to absolve Lloyd of all wrongdoing in this situation—the company did pander to one side only to renege when it didn't work out well for them—but the reactions Lloyd faced remind us that a world where every action is politicized is a tedious one where even taco purveyors must choose political sides.

Comments

[Jerryskids]

You will be made to care. Nobody gets to sit this one out.

[tim koss]

first and foremost anyone working in Trumps DHS enforcement is complicit. There is no one forcing you to work at DHS. I am not suggesting those that work in some division actually helping folks should quit, but if your in the stream of work that separates families or violates laws to hold folks in substandard conditions or illegally, then quit or transfer. But don't bitch and whine because those of us offended by that thuggery call you task or refuse to server you or do business with those who choose to.

and don't look for leniency when history appropriately records this as a sordid period in American life.

[JesseAz]

Complicit. Another signal you are dealing with the idiot left.

[Res ipsa loquitur]

Thank the Gods this never occurred under Obama !

If this had occurred under Obama and people didn’t care, why do they care now ?

If people are being selective in their anger, it almost appears that they are full of shit and will stop caring once a Democrat is in office.

Either the practice is bad and the protests should have occurred earlier, or it isn’t bad and Trump should not be attacked for doing just what Obama did. Make up your mind.

[TrickyVic (old school)]

""it almost appears that they are full of shit and will stop caring once a Democrat is in office. ""

Like the liberal anti-war protesters that disappeared when Obama was elected?

[TripK2]

The dude won a peace prize. Doesn't that mean he ended the wars?

[Tionico]

if the kinyun HAD ended the wars, he'd deserva that trinket to hang round his scrawny neck.

But he did not, and so he does not.

[Zeb]

But their money's still good. It's not as if selling them tacos changes what they do or enables them to do anything other than what they'd usually do.

[Mike Laursen]

Maybe we could withhold harsh judgement of the little guy who might just be trying to work and make some money to support their family. Maybe we could reserve harsh judgement for the people who are making the policies.

I got over directing my anger at TSA employees, although I think the TSA is absolutely idiotic.

[Zeb]

And what are the complainers trying to accomplish? Make ICE agents starve?
Pointless symbolic acts are pointless.

[Ryan (formally HTT)]

it's called virtue signalling. The purpose is a dopamine hit for defending supposed victims. It's a learned behavior from our government funded schools, mostly through majors that provide no real world value.

But hey, leftists gonna leftist

[Mike Laursen]

I don't know. But it drives me nuts when busybodies interfere with other peoples' business (literally).

[Ryan (formally HTT)]

I love when Jeff tries to calm down woke scolds. Please let this happen more often

[Mike Laursen]

Jeff's not here, Mrs. Torrance.

[chemjeff radical individualist]

I have no idea where this notion started that you are my sock. I have never used socks here. This is just stupid.

[Mike Laursen]

I know. But you need to go away because I just told everyone you're not here. 🙂

[Mike Laursen]

Thing is, like, what if it were true -- so what? It doesn't invalidate anything either of us has said.

[Nardz]

The common themes of disingenuous sincerely, false claims of ideology, and the canard of constant citation begging that you "both" display with astounding consistency.

[bevis the lumberjack]

"first and foremost anyone working in Trumps DHS enforcement is complicit."

Damn straight, brother. Let's starve those motherfuckers. No food truck, no grocery store, no restaurant should sell those bastards any food. Not a single morsel.

Let's see how gung ho they are to enforce the law when their children have starved to death and they themselves look like the folks that were left when the Nazi concentration camps were liberated.

[Longtobefree]

You really think a trained man with a gun will starve?

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

don’t look for leniency when history appropriately records this as a sordid period in American life.

Fuckin' LOL at Millennial 'tards who think that people in 150 years won't look at them with contempt.

[Longtobefree]

Never apologize mister, it's a sign of weakness.

Home work assignment for any journalists out there. How many (legal) immigrants are employed at that ICE facility? Include those working maintenance/custodial jobs, even if for a contractor.

[Adans smith]

And always care a knife.

[JesseAz]

None. Only white Austrians work for DHS.

[Robert]

Nah, Just keep apologizing ande keep doing business. Laugh up your sleeve with every apology.

[Fist of Etiquette]

How about instead of providing for government bootlickers, you guys come to the GM plant and give the workers on strike some tacos?

"Give." This isn't a serious person.

[Á àß äẞç ãþÇđ âÞ¢Đæ ǎB€Ðëf ảhf]

You'd be surprised. They are the *most* serious, the *most* woke, of all.

[JesseAz]

Wonder if that person is outraged at the 11 GM officials under indictment for theft of union dues.

[JesseAz]

11 UaW*

[Longtobefree]

True. If they were serious, they would have offered to pay for the food.

[Fist of Etiquette]

...the company did pander to one side only to renege when it didn't work out well for them—but the reactions Lloyd faced remind us that a world where every action is politicized is a tedious one where even taco purveyors must choose political sides.

I absolve them. It's impossible unless you're well-read on Twitter hysterics to navigate the varying currents of the perpetually outraged influencers and their mindless followers.

[JesseAz]

Businesses should get off Twitter. Only retard leftists and media members think Twitter is useful. Most of Trumps tweets are just to troll the left.

[Zeb]

Apparently it can also be useful for knowing where the taco truck is going to be.
Probably one of the only ways it actually is useful.

[Mickey Rat]

Was there anything wrong with what State Senator Ortt wrote? Defending federal workers ability to buy lunch in peace from leftist whinging is not exactly something to critcize.

[JesseAz]

Both sides bro.

[chemjeff radical individualist]

You mean besides the pandering to the cops?

The men and women who work to enforce our immigration laws and protect us deserve better.

They're not "brave defenders", they are thugs with badges and guns. They don't "deserve better", they deserve contempt, regardless of whatever this food truck owner decides to do.

[Nardz]

And you're a communist with a keyboard

[Nardz]

Communist may be too specific, so I'll correct myself and change that to collectivist

[chemjeff radical individualist]

Blah blah blah. Why don't you call me a doodyhead while you're at it. LOL

[JohnTheRevelator]

It's hard to absolve Lloyd of all wrongdoing in this situation—the company did pander to one side only to renege when it didn't work out well for them

And if they hadn't done that, there would be no issue. We already know that "cancel culture" is just a relative handful of angry assholes on Twitter. The answer to them, always and everywhere, is GFY. You're a damn food truck company, you go where the customers are.

The sooner we all decide these Internet jerkoffs don't have any power over us, the sooner ...they won't have any power over us. It's that simple. GFY, Twitter caller-outers. GFY.

[Conchfritters]

"While Lloyd's prides itself on its support of immigrants, this incident shows it can still do better,"

Like throwing a flaming bag of dog shit at them? Would they be satisfied then?

[Mickey Rat]

So, if these are progressives, and progressives believe that public accommodations must serve the public unquestioningly, are food trucks not public accommodations or are federal workers not members of the public when on lunch break?

[TrickyVic (old school)]

They just expect you to behave the way they want you to. And they think Trump is the authoritarian.

[Adans smith]

The proper response is ' go to hell, I'm trying to make a living' .

[Jerryskids]

The proper response is ‘ go to hell, I’m trying to make a living enough money to buy a fourth AR-15’ .

FTFY

[TrickyVic (old school)]

Tell them is a Donald Trump autographed AR-15.

[Bearded Spock]

With "MAGA, bitches!" engraved on the dust cover.

[Zeb]

"We pride ourselves on selling tacos to anyone with money to pay for them"

[JesseAz]

Both sides I guess.

Only one side started the drama with their idiocy. The other side just reacted to the idiocy of bowing down to idiots.

But both sides.

[darkflame]

yeah, my thoughts too. Gotta virtue signal to get into those cocktail parties.

[Aloysious]

Several people tweeted their dismay...

The horror.

[LeaveTrumpAloneLibertarian]

Yeah, I wouldn’t feed domestic terrorist scum either. The same goes for the DEA.

[Zeb]

Which is worse: DEA agents doing what they are going to do anyway, or DEA agents doing what they are going to do and you have some of their money because you sold them tacos.
I'm not sure why we are supposed to think that selling someone food means you somehow support what they do.

[LeaveTrumpAloneLibertarian]

Must I engage in mutually beneficial trade with people whose work I find detestable? No wonder i’m A socialist. I have morals and a sense of ethics.

[Zeb]

No one saying you must do anything.

[bevis the lumberjack]

Nope, you don't have to engage in mutually beneficial trade with anybody that you don't want to.

The problem comes when you and people like you try to force somebody else to stop engaging in trade with some other people that you don't like.

That's the difference between people like me that appreciate individual freedom and socialist slavers like you.

[JohnTheRevelator]

YOU don't have to engage in trade. You also may not tell anyone else not to. Your failure to understand the latter is also part of why you're a socialist.

For extra credit, tell me how your thoughts above relate to bakers of wedding cakes.

[LeaveTrumpAloneLibertarian]

I think they should be allowed to bake cakes for as many bigots as they like. As a person interested in anarchism and direct action I also feel I unconstrained in writing Yelp reviews— both true and fraudulent— about said baker’s products and business practices. Ok with you?

[RabbitHead]

So you freely admit that lies and false witness are to be expected as long as they serve your agenda?

All your statements are regarded as pure bullshit then.

Might as well shut up now

[LeaveTrumpAloneLibertarian]

What problem exactly is there in writing a One Star Yelp review about a business run by a bigot. “Yeah, the cupcakes were ok, but you gotta feel a bit yucky about going to a bakery run by a Bible-beating bigot who has to virtue signal to all his Christianity friends”

That’sproblematic?Why?

[Nardz]

Progressive "anarchist"

LOL at the lies hivemind tell themselves

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

As a person interested in anarchism and direct action

You definitely deserve to get pasted by a vehicle like your buddies Heather and Sean, then.

[chemjeff radical individualist]

You also may not tell anyone else not to.

Tell? Or force?

Because I'm pretty sure everyone ought to have the right to tell anyone anything that they wish.

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

The good news about Antifas is that they don't mix well with moving vehicle bumpers.

[LeaveTrumpAloneLibertarian]

Oh look— the tolerant Right.

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

Sean Kealiher getting pasted by a bunch of black guys outside of Cider Riot was the highlight of October.

[darkflame]

I hadn't seen this, but that's ironic as shit. Made his living smashing cars and pulling people out of them, only appropriate that a car got him in the end.

[Minadin]

You know who else sells tacos indiscriminately to anyone willing to pay?

My family.

[Unicorn Abattoir]

I thought just your sister did that.

[Minadin]

Ironically, no. You would think with an Art degree she would be, though.

[Dillinger]

dude.

[Unicorn Abattoir]

Come on, it's just a joke!

[Dillinger]

was a "dude" of applause. tried exclamation point it didn't work.

[Rik Bitter]

Toyota?

[Marshal]

This is actually a great outcome.

But they eventually landed on the right answer only because non-leftists applied the same standard so the company was not able to solely appease the left. All you idiots who like to claim the non-right applying the left's standard is just as bad or worse (looking at you Soave) take note.

[TripK2]

The key is to literally get off of twitter, keep your head down, and keep serving food. The twats will move onto their next target very quickly. They are not your customers. Twitter user's opinions of your food truck hold no importance or value.

When someone sees your food truck, they don't think "oh man, I want to eat but I better check Twitter first to make sure that they haven't been involved in any controversies lately." They simply think "hey, I like tacos" and buy a fucking taco.

This is so fucking stupid. How do companies keep falling for all this fake outrage?

[Mike Laursen]

Well there are a few people that think that way, but you could win half of them over just by offering them a couple of free tacos.

[chemjeff radical individualist]

First, no one is FORCING the food truck owners to go anywhere. This is not a matter of government coercion.

Second, this issue highlights the problem of how to enforce, or modify, social standards and customs in the absence of the law simply declaring it so. Many libertarians rightfully object to things like the CRA on the grounds that it is the state authoritatively imposing its vision of social standards on everyone, instead of letting them develop organically via persuasion and mutual consent. Would it have been better if Jim Crow would have simply withered on the vine as support for it gradually fell away by an organically changing population no longer committed to the racist standards of the past, instead of having the federal government step in with its bootheel of force demanding compliance with its social conventions on a population not yet ready to accept it? I think yes, that would have been the more preferable way to approach things.

So, this food truck incident represents one way to attempt to alter or modify social standards in the absence of government coercion - by social pressure. I think we have to come to the realization that when there is no central authority dictating to everyone what the 'proper' social standard is, then that means that decision is left up to everyone else, and while we may not always appreciate the customs that these millions of moral scolds may come up with, it's preferable to having a giant coercive moral scold in the form of the state performing the same task for everyone.

I don't think it is particularly a great look to be beating up on taco truck owners for basically just trying to feed hungry people, but I would rather have Twitter mobs using social pressure to try to achieve some outcome instead of the state stepping in to declare by fiat one particular outcome or another.

Sometimes liberty is messy.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

The company was criticized for serving ICE employees, then criticized for apologizing.

The second criticism was a reasonable one.

Stop... apologizing. Now make me my goddamned taco.

[Tionico]

and make SURE you make it with SWISS cheeeeeeeze on it.

[Dillinger]

"how 'bout you fuck off and we'll sell tacos. gracias."

[Unicorn Abattoir]

Or as we say in my office ('cause we're all eloquent and stuff):

I've got a 2 word answer for you, and it's not happy birthday.

[Dillinger]

much better tweet. both likely gain customers.

[Curly4]

. . . Cimino insists that they "acted too quickly" in caving under criticism for serving ICE workers, reiterating that Lloyd wants to "make lunch and dinner, not policy."
Cimino made mistake by not coming out with this statement first and last.
If he had said Loyd want to make lunch and dinners and serve to one and all who could pay for them he would have been much further ahead. The purpose of the company in the first place is to make money, any thing else is just added benefit.

[Tionico]

he momentarily forgot which side of the tortilla the carne asada is on. Maybe he'll remember next time. Poor guy, trying to be liked by everyone. Now it seems he's liked by hardly anyone.

Well, the woke scold nannies will go off and find another mark next week, so he can get back to making and delivering la mejor comida méjicana autentico en el norte de Nueva York......

[rational_egoism]

The woke scold cunts are at it again, I see.

[Tionico]

and I'll bet my best hat the same ones pillorying the taco truck folks for NOT "discriminating" against and refusing to serve the ICE guys

[Tionico]

stupid thing cut me off early.. continuing the above thought....

the above who are pillorying the owners at Lloyd's Tacos are apopleptic at the Kentucky Supreme Court's new decision wholly in favour of the Hands On tee shirt printing company which were accused of discriminating" against the group by declining to print tee shirts for one of their LGQPBTWSGt and whatever other perversion is considered cool these days....

interesting how SOME discrimination is good and another is evil and WILL be punished to the satisfaction of the "harmed".

I am pleased to report that YOUR orange onesie lost to OUR orange hair. Get over it.

[Echospinner]

Tacos is kinda ironic.

[tlapp]

You can't please all the people all the time, but you can always offend half of them all the time.