Why We’re Afraid and Why We Closed Most of Our Food Trucks

What you’re about to read is a direct copy/paste from a local business, Eggroll Queen. Witnessing people’s stories matters. As I read this, I was reminded how connected we all are. They are not separate from me. Their pain is ours.

Why We’re Afraid and Why We Closed Most of Our Food Trucks

We are U.S. citizens.
My children were born in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Most of my employees were born in Wisconsin or Minnesota.
This is our home.

And yet, we are afraid.

Citizenship is supposed to mean safety. Right now, it doesn’t.

I’ve always understood the fear undocumented people live with. I never expected to feel it myself—as a citizen—because of how we look. When ICE stops people in public and demands proof, the message is clear: faces matter more than papers.

Most of my team was born here. A few elders immigrated decades ago and became naturalized citizens. Many people born here don’t even have passports. Now we’re expected to carry documents everywhere, just to exist.

Fear turns into terror when people are taken first and questioned later. When people disappear without phone calls. When even white U.S. citizens are detained or shot in public—despite witnesses and video—like the shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. When agents walk away and call it self-defense.

When truth is recorded and still ignored, what chance do people like us have?

We’re Asian.
We’re not powerful.
We’re not famous.
We’re a small, family business trying to protect our people.

What business owner would choose to shut down and suffer financially?

No one.

We did.

We closed most of our food truck locations because staying alive matters more than money. No sale is worth one employee being hurt, detained, or killed. Watching a decade of work fall apart is heartbreaking—but losing a life would destroy me forever.

My father served in the U.S. Army.
My middle son and my brother-in-law are Marine veterans.
My sister served in the Air Force.
My brother is a St. Paul police officer.

Even with all of that, there is still no guarantee of safety.

The fear deepened when Vice President JD Vance said ICE agents have “absolute immunity” when acting in the line of duty. If there is no accountability, there may be no justice. Our community has already felt this—like what happened to ChongLy Thao, an elder and longtime U.S. citizen.

I live with the fear that one of my employees could cross paths with the wrong person at the wrong time and never come home the same—or at all.

I’m afraid because facts don’t come first anymore.
Because trauma doesn’t care about paperwork.
Because once harm happens, citizenship can’t undo it.

So when people say, “Don’t be scared,” I ask: how?

How do I tell my children not to be afraid when adults are taken, hurt, or killed—and life just moves on?

I pray this ICE blizzard doesn’t last much longer.

You can help them survive this ICE blizzard by:

• Catering with them or placing pre-orders
• Visiting a pop-up food truck or stopping by the kitchen for lunch or dinner
• Purchasing gift cards
– Email: [email protected]
– They’ll invoice you and mail the cards
– Available in $10 or $25
• Paying it forward or donating via Venmo
– @chaijxiong (J in the middle, phone #0324)
– Meals are delivered to a family in need
• Sharing weekly pop-up locations
• Stopping by to check in on their “children”—their team
• Subscribing to the Freezer Club
• Signing up for an egg roll rolling class:
https://eggrollqueen.square.site/

Every order matters.
Every share matters.
Every visit matters.

Thank you for standing with them.

Last week, I shared this post, which came from a “What can I do to help?” conversation with my friend Gordon. His idea was to post a list of resources. It took me about 15 minutes to put together. That list went viral. It’s been shared all over the world with 3 Million views. And who knows how much money has been funneled to businesses, organizations, and families in need because of it.

His idea mattered.
My posting it mattered.
Every share mattered.
Every $5 donation mattered.

Your ideas, your gifts, your heart, your prayers, your hugs, your presence, your protesting—it all matters.

When we feel helpless or paralyzed, remember this: small actions still move the needle.

Click Here for a list of ways you can help Minnesota.

Time with friends, neighbors, and family is medicine.

On the hardest mental days—when it’s -10 degrees and social media feels unbearable—the last thing I want to do is put on hard pants and leave the house. And yet, every single time I do, my spirits lift. I’m reminded of our collective power.

So take care of yourself. Reach out to someone you trust. Stay connected.

Grab food from a local restaurant that needs it. Drink wine and cry. Watch a movie that makes you laugh until you cry (there’s a theme here). Odds are, you’ll end up laughing too.

If not for yourself, do it for them. Everyone wins ❤️

😴 I tried to be productive today…
But I accidentally took a nap and now it’s tomorrow.

📖 I started reading a book on the history of glue.
I got stuck on the first page.

📱 I put my phone down to be more present…
and immediately forgot where I put my phone.

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