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USA Today
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Alligator Alcatraz: Kona Ice, restaurants clarify after their trucks are seen at facility
Kona Ice sent an explainer while a Mexican food truck company apologized to its customers as both were seen participating in a catering event at the new Everglades immigration processing center called Alligator Alcatraz. "The event was booked through an unknown agency, and the franchisee was unaware of the facility's nature or its association with politically sensitive issues," Kona wrote on Instagram. "We deeply regret the impression our involvement may have given and the pain it has caused within our community," said Elote Lovers, a Mexican restaurant in Homestead, in a statement on Instagram. Kona Ice and Elote Lovers were two of four food trucks seen entering the facility in the Everglades in Miami-Dade County on a TikTok posted on July 2. The video, which now has over 3.7 million views, shows food trucks named Kona Ice, Elote Lovers, Churromania and Ms. Cheezius driving into the gate at the Dade Collier Training and Transition Airport. "They love our food but hate our people," wrote TikTok user osozalez. In a statement on Instagram, Ms. Cheezius said the food truck was approached by a disaster response company to help provide meals for active service members who were working at Alligator Alcatraz. Watch as first immigrants arrive at Alligator Alcatraz "Contrary to misleading online narratives, our presence was not part of any celebration or grand opening, and we are not engaged in ongoing services there," the statement says. Kona Ice also released a statement and clarified that each Kona Ice truck is locally owned and operated. "Our brand exists to bring a moment of happiness to communities through our shaved ice experience – and we recognize the importance of ensuring that mission is never misinterpreted," the statement says. Restaurant said providing food was not an endorsement On Elote Lovers' website, the restaurant said that they started as a family-run food truck in 2011 but expanded in 2019. "What started as a small family venture has grown into a place where tradition meets innovation," the website said. "From our classic Mexican-style elotes to our loaded Crunchwraps, unique street eats, and Fresh Squeezed Lemonade, every bite is crafted with love, quality ingredients, and a little bit of heat!" The restaurant said providing food for Alligator Alcatraz was not an endorsement of the facility, which opened July 1 with a highly-publicized visit from President Donald Trump and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Both toured the facility with Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie, who boasted about the state's quick efforts to set up the immigration processing center in eight days. The state plans to hold 3,000 detained immigrants at the Everglades detention center for future removal to their countries of origin. It's been heavily criticized, with opponents arguing it will harm the fragile ecosystem of the Everglades, is inhumane to detainees and the facility will waste taxpayer dollars. DeSantis described these sites as a "one-stop shop" for deportation. Questions for comment from Churromania are pending. "We do not support, condone, or align ourselves with any form of oppression, abuse, of injustice," Elote Lovers said. "We never have and we never will." Ana Goñi-Lessan, state watchdog reporter for the USA TODAY Network – Florida, can be reached at agonilessan@
USA Today
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Florida food trucks face backlash after catering controversy at Alligator Alcatraz
A Mexican food truck company is apologizing to its customers for participating in a catering event at Alligator Alcatraz. "We deeply regret the impression our involvement may have given and the pain it has caused within our community," said Elote Lovers, a Homestead restaurant, in a statement on Instagram. Elote Lovers was one of four food trucks seen entering the Everglades immigration processing center on a TikTok posted on July 2. The video, which now has over 3.7 million views, shows food trucks named Kona Ice, Elote Lovers, Churromania and Ms. Cheezius driving into the gate at the Dade Collier Training and Transition Airport in Miami-Dade County. "They love our food but hate our people," wrote TikTok user osozalez. In a statement on Instagram, Ms. Cheezius said the food truck was approached by a disaster response company to help provide meals for active service members who were working at Alligator Alcatraz. "Contrary to misleading online narratives, our presence was not part of any celebration or grand opening, and we are not engaged in ongoing services there," the statement says. Kona Ice also released a statement and clarified that each Kona Ice truck is locally owned and operated. The company said the event was booked through an unknown agency, and the franchise was unaware of the facility's nature or its association with "politically sensitive issues." "Our brand exists to bring a moment of happiness to communities through our shaved ice experience – and we recognize the importance of ensuring that mission is never misinterpreted," the statement says. Restaurant said providing food was not an endorsement On Elote Lovers' website, the restaurant says they started as a family-run food truck in 2011 but expanded in 2019. "What started as a small family venture has grown into a place where tradition meets innovation," the website says. "From our classic Mexican-style elotes to our loaded Crunchwraps, unique street eats, and Fresh Squeezed Lemonade, every bite is crafted with love, quality ingredients, and a little bit of heat!" The restaurant said providing food for Alligator Alcatraz was not an endorsement of the facility, which opened July 1 with a highly-publicized visit from President Donald Trump and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Both toured the facility with Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie, who boasted about the state's quick efforts to set up the immigration processing center in eight days. The state plans to hold 3,000 detained immigrants at the Everglades detention center for future removal to their countries of origin. It's been heavily criticized, with opponents arguing it will harm the fragile ecosystem of the Everglades, is inhumane to detainees and the facility will waste taxpayer dollars. DeSantis described these sites as a "one-stop shop," for deportation. Questions for comment from Churromania are pending. "We do not support, condone, or align ourselves with any form of oppression, abuse, of injustice," Elote Lovers said. "We never have and we never will." Ana Goñi-Lessan, state watchdog reporter for the USA TODAY Network – Florida, can be reached at agonilessan@
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Miami Herald
03-07-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Elote, churrasco and churros: Alligator Alcatraz workers fed by Miami food trucks
As the construction on Florida's new immigrant detention center, Alligator Alcatraz, was finalizing, elote, churros and churrasco were hauled in to feed the workforce. Food trucks that Miami locals know and love were contracted this week to feed the workers that were tasked with assembling the 1,000-bed detention center on an old airstrip in the Everglades. The food trucks, which had been coming in going amid the frenzy of contractors and visits from politicos including President Donald Trump, included Mexican street food truck Elote Lovers, Venezuelan sweet treats franchise Churro Mania and Argentinian meat from Che Grill. READ MORE: Alligator Alcatraz receives first immigrant detainees Wednesday night Along with them, local favorite Ms. Cheezious, which recently closed its brick-and-mortar spot on Biscayne Boulevard, and Kona Ice, a flavored-ice vendor that's a mainstay at fancy birthday parties, were seen rolling through the entrance of the detention center this week. 'They love our food but they hate our people,' wrote Tiktok user @ocozalez in a post documenting the vendors entering the construction site. Commenters expressed outrage that the vendors would contract their services for a project that could potentially affect Hispanic immigrants. 'Are they seriously celebrating with the food from the very people they are locking up in there?' asked a commenter. The reason for hiring out several food trucks that specialize in Latin food was obvious to Che Grill owner Gonzalo Cardenas. Almost all the construction workers were Hispanic, he told the Miami Herald. 'Everyone was speaking Spanish,' he said. According to Cardenas, who sent his son and another worker to Alligator Alcatraz, the food truck was stationed outside the high security area and his team was not allowed to leave that space. His son, Valentin, told him that the detention center appeared very organized. Cardenas, 55, was glad to get the business at this time of year. June is one of the slowest months for his food truck, which his family has operated since 2010 and does catering and major events throughout the county. His team sold between 250-300 orders of churrasco con papas a day at the site. Cardenas said though he is an immigrant he understands that enforcement is important, especially if the numbers of undocumented immigrants are as bad as he hears. 'It seems like it was necessary to organize the situation,' he told the Herald. 'If they keep coming and coming and coming — somehow we have to regulate them.' He said he hasn't received backlash from providing services to the project. It was just another job. Ms. Cheezius, a local food truck that specializes in grilled cheese sandwiches, apparently did receive some negative feedback after providing services at the center. They posted on their Instagram that they were not involved in 'ongoing services' at Alligator Alcatraz. They were contracted by a 'disaster relief organization' to provide meals to the active service members at the site. Cardenas confirmed that his job was done at the detention camp as well. Che Grill's last day was Wednesday, which was the day the first group of detainees arrived.
