‘Taco Truck Tammy’ Threatens to Call ICE on Food Truck Workers

Many people, if confronted with a taco truck in their neighborhood, would probably be quite pleased. What a delightful opportunity to step out—perhaps still in your pajamas, order a carnitas taco, and then hop right back inside.

For one Dallas woman, however, the taco truck was not such a pleasant sight— so unpleasant, in fact, that she not only asked the taco truck to leave, but also threatened to call Immigrations and Customs Enforcement on its operators. Now, she’s being called “Taco Truck Tammy,” according to the Austin Statesman, joining the ranks of “BBQ Becky,” “Permit Patty,” and “Cornerstore Caroline”—all of whom turned minor grievances into overreaction that earned them viral notoriety, meme-ified monikers, and claims of racial stereotyping.

Claudia Lopez, one of the truck’s operators, recorded a video of the altercation and posted it on YouTube with the title “racist woman talking about shes gonna call ICE ON US FOR SELLING FOOD IN DALLAS WHEN WE HAVE PERMIT.” In it, the woman—who’s yet to be identified, perhaps, hence the meme—asks the truck’s operators to move, and tells Lopez, “OK, baby girl. Vámonos. […] I’ll call ICE.” As Lopez claims, the truck allegedly had a permit to operate in that spot.

The “Taco Truck Tammy” incident comes not long after another taco-related altercation. Two weeks ago, a man at a California taco restaurant felt that he’d been overcharged for his food. When it turned out that he’d been confused by a banner that read “Especial de Viernes,” or Friday’s Specials, he got agitated, started yelling, “It says it in Mexican. We're not in Mexico. We're in America,” and threatened to call immigration as well.

Unlike “BBQ Becky” and “Permit Patty,” whose 911 calls have since been made public, it’s not clear whether or not “Taco Truck Tammy” actually called ICE or the police. Still, that’s not a threat to take lightly: The United States deported more than 256,000 people last year, and President Trump is currently pushing even harder to deter immigration and to take ICE in a “tougher direction”—which could mean, yes, coming for our tacos.