A West New York restaurant is having trouble keeping business afloat after a viral TikTok claimed to show an ICE raid that the owner says never occurred.
La Pupusa Loca has been serving the West New York community authentic Salvadoran food since 1989. Additionally, La Pupusa Loca has opened a handful of sister locations over the years, including one in neighboring Union City and another in Yonkers.
Owner Elio Barrera says he has witnessed a sharp decline in business this week to a tune of almost 80%. The reason? A viral TikTok that falsely claimed ICE raided their sister location in Union City, which has been closed since 2024.
Barrera says the raid never happened, and that the video was completely fabricated. But, that didn’t stop the post from spreading, garnering 1.4 million views over just a few days. “After watching the video, had I not known the truth, I would’ve believed it,” Barrera told NBC in an interview. “It breaks my heart that people feel they’re not safe here anymore.”
The reaction has been stark. Barrera believes the sharp decline in business is out of fear—that La Pupusa Loca has become a sort of target for ICE. It is hard to deny that the video has been keeping customers away. The post has since been taken down, but not before the damage could spread.
It’s a chain reaction of sorts in response to the increase in ICE operations since Donald Trump took office. The President has made deportations a pillar of his second term, and ICE has already carried out efforts in New Jersey when they raided Newark late last month.
Despite this, Barrera wants his customers to know that no matter what, they have a home (and a hot meal) at La Pupusa Loca. “There is a lot of confusion going on with this video, but what I want to clarify: There has never been an ICE raid at any of our locations, and I just want people to know that this is, and will continue to be, their second home.”
The viral age of social media, for all its joy, has created a monster: a growing incentive for the spread of misinformation. In cases like Barrera’s, these unfounded claims can have real-world effects. It’s more important now than ever to check your information before you hit the share button.
Peter Candia is the Food + Drink Editor at New Jersey Digest. A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, Peter found a passion for writing midway through school and never looked back. He is a former line cook, server and bartender at top-rated restaurants in the tri-state area. In addition to food, Peter enjoys politics, music, sports and anything New Jersey.
