Elio Barrera, owner of La Pupusa Loca, is working to recover from a viral video falsely claiming an ICE raid at their location. The video caused a drastic drop in business, highlighting the impact of misinformation on immigrant communities.
Elio Barrera, owner of the Salvadorian restaurant La Pupusa Loca, is facing the fallout from a viral video that falsely claimed an ICE raid occurred at a restaurant with their name. Barrera insists that the raid 'never happened.' The video, which garnered roughly 1.4 million views, was removed from the social media platform, but Barrera says 'the damage was already done.
' The misinformation has caused nearly an 80% drop in customer traffic to his restaurant, instilling fear in the local immigrant community. Barrera shared the deep sentimental value the restaurant holds for him, having taken his first steps there and witnessing generations of families gathering to share meals. His grandparents, who migrated from El Salvador, started the business in 1989, passing down their love for cooking and traditional recipes. He expressed heartbreak over the impact of the false video, emphasizing how it has instilled unnecessary fear in patrons who once felt at home. The restaurant, usually vibrant and full on weekends, has seen a drastic decline in visitors, leading to cutbacks in staff hours and operations. 'I hope that people are more aware of social media, of what they see on the internet,' Barrera told ABC News. 'I want people to not believe everything they see because in this case, I feel like we were all victims of a video like this. It definitely had an impact on everybody. It brought a lot of fear. It was very threatening to see how this video depicted a situation that never existed.' Despite the challenges, Barrera remains determined to rebuild trust and encourage customers to return, assuring them a raid never happened at their location. He urges people to be more discerning about what they believe online. He remains steadfast in his commitment to carrying on his grandparents' legacy, ensuring the restaurant continues to serve as a welcoming space for the community. 'The U.S. is made up of migrants, and we all are hard workers,' said Barrera about the immigrant community. 'We make so much of this country, and we're all human. We all have rights.
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