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Amid a wave of massive ICE raids, while thousands of migrants live in constant fear and keep their phones at the ready to alert family members, a bar in Idaho decided to turn that suffering into profit and spectacle.
The Old State Saloon, in the city of Eagle, offers “free beer for a month” to those who help identify and deport immigrants. A promotion that many on social media have labeled as “depraved,” “inhuman,” and “a direct provocation to the pain of thousands of families.”
The offer, initially posted on X, assures that anyone who provides photos, videos, or information leading to an arrest will receive unlimited access to beer. And if the tip results in several deportations, the reward could even be increased.
While this bar celebrates the hunt, 200 federal agents are preparing for a new massive operation in New Orleans. In New York, 15 protesters were detained over the weekend for attempting to stop a convoy from ICE. Amidst this tension, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, warns that "they are not going to stop" and that "they will not allow this to continue," reinforcing the atmosphere of persecution.
On social media, several users reported that the bar's campaign trivializes the trauma of families fleeing dictatorships, economic crises, or violence. "Turning the deportation of a human being into a game with a prize crosses a moral line," wrote one user, while others compared the proposal to the denunciation practices characteristic of repressive regimes.
The Department of Homeland Security reacted with surprise to the announcement, but the bar responded by encouraging to "deport them all," fueling a rhetoric that has further ignited outrage.
At least one person has already claimed the promotion, as confirmed by the establishment itself. And a user on X even suggested creating a "leaderboard" to crown the "Athlete of the Year," a gesture that many see as a chilling sign of how persecution is becoming normalized.
The offer arrives just as the White House announced the suspension of asylum applications from 19 countries, in an attempt to further reduce the legal avenues for those seeking refuge. For many migrants, including thousands of Cubans, the situation becomes increasingly uncertain each day.
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