ICE raid hoax leaves community on edge

By Tom George

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    DURHAM, North Carolina (WTVD) — As busy shoppers grab their groceries at Compare Foods on Avondale Drive in Durham, some are a little on edge after a hoax prompted rumors of an ICE raid at the store that were not true.

Surveillance photos show the truck, and you can see what looks like the ICE logo on the side, and the store said someone driving around in uniform. It was enough to create rumors of an immigration raid at the store, but it was all a prank

Now the picture is making the rounds on social media and creating fear in the community.

Rosie De Leon, who is from Mexico, has called Durham home for 8 years. She was shopping at the store and said she has a message for the driver.

“It’s sad people would try and take advantage of the situation and the fear within the community right now, and these kinds of antics only embolden people to create more panic in the public.,” she told ABC11.

It all comes amid news from the Trump administration that previously safe zones like schools and churches would no longer be off limits to ICE.

This week, Durham Mayor Leo Williams made it clear to ABC11 that the city supports immigrants.

“The taxpayers of Durham do not pay the Durham Police Department to be an extension of ICE,” Mayor Williams said.

Back at Compare Foods, some we spoke with say they would stick up for their neighbors.

“Even just in my school there hasn’t been ICE or deportation there’s been a lot of talk about it, and so to drive around like that and fearmonger especially when people are already terrified of that right now in Hispanic neighborhoods is insane to me,” said Aniya McNeil from Durham.

In the meantime, Compare Foods said they filed a police report and are seeking legal action against the people responsible.

In a statement posted on Instagram, the store said:

“What’s most concerning is that these actions were carried out with malicious intent, aimed at spreading fear and misinformation in a time when our community is already in a fragile and sensitive climate. Fear, especially in such uncertain times can spread like wildfire.”

The store also said they are committed to creating a safe environment for their customers.

Durham Police Department told ABC11 it is aware of the incident. The department said in an email:

“Compare Foods management reported this to Durham Police on Thursday, January 23 along with rumors being posted online about potential ICE raids of their store. The truck involved is not an ICE vehicle. We do not have any additional information available at this time.”

In general, it is considered a crime to impersonate officers, including ICE officers. It’s unclear if any charges will be filed in this case.

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