Midwest
Noem team demands end to 'fake news' reports she spent $650K as governor on credit card — it was $2K
FIRST ON FOX: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s legal team hit a South Dakota media outlet with a cease-and-desist letter demanding that it correct and end its knowingly “false and misleading” reporting that Noem allegedly racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars on a government-issued credit card when she served as governor, Fox News Digital has learned.
“On behalf of former South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem in her personal capacity, I write out of concern that your website continues to publish false and misleading information about my client that you have known to be false since at least July 2024,” an attorney representing Noem in her personal capacity said in a letter to the co-founders of a South Dakota outlet called The Dakota Scout. The letter was obtained by Fox News Digital on Thursday.
“Specifically, your website repeatedly, and inaccurately, refers to all charges on credit cards used by the Office of the Governor of South Dakota as charges of my client—allowing a conclusion by multiple commenters on the site and other news outlets that my client violated the laws of South Dakota or stole taxpayer funds for her personal use,” it continued. “We demand that The Dakota Scout immediately cease spreading these false, misleading, and inaccurate statements and take immediate and significant steps to correct past inaccuracies.”
The Dakota Scout has for months reported that Noem racked up more than $650,000 in credit card transactions on a government-issued card during her gubernatorial career, which has now grown legs in the state as other outlets publish similar reports.
However, receipts reviewed by Fox Digital, as well as outlined in the cease-and-desist letter, show that Noem used her government credit card about 30 times across her tenure as governor for a total of $2,056.72.
Noem’s gubernatorial office did spend more than $650,000 via multiple credit cards for official purposes across her years in office, receipts show.
Noem served as South Dakota governor from January 2019 to January 2025, when she was sworn-in as the nation’s eighth Department of Homeland Security chief.
SENATE CONFIRMS KRISTI NOEM AS TRUMP’S DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House border czar Tom Homan speak with reporters at the White House on Jan. 29, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Alex Brandon/The Associated Press )
The Dakota Scout is a local media outlet covering South Dakota politics and culture that is based out of Sioux Falls and was founded in 2022, according to its website.
The outlet, which also has a weekly print edition, has extensively written about credit card expenditures under Noem’s gubernatorial tenure, including headlines, “Noem’s state credit card spending kept secret,” “AG Jackley releases state reimbursements amid scrutiny of Noem’s credit card usage,” “Gov. Kristi Noem credit card secrecy prompts lawsuit,” and “Kristi Noem’s credit card expenses: Search database to see 5 years of charges.”
“The monthly totals show that Noem spent nearly $650,000 from the time she took office in 2019 through April of this year,” a report from July stated, characterizing the expenses as solely made by Noem.
“The Scout reported last summer that Noem had spent nearly $650,000 on the charge cards,” another article published in February reads.
Then-South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is sworn in during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on her nomination to be Secretary of Homeland Security, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 17, 2025. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
“The Dakota Scout has not seen the letter, but it sounds like it was written by somebody lacking understanding of the facts and the First Amendment. We stand by our reporting, and wish Sec. Noem well on her endeavors,” co-founder Jonathan Ellis and Joe Sneve told Fox News Digital when approached for comment.
The Dakota Scout obtained credit card expenditures for Noem and her office earlier in 2025 after filing an open records lawsuit against the state auditor in September 2025, the outlet detailed in various articles. The media organization has since launched a database of her office’s credit card transactions across five years.
After receiving the receipts for the expenses in February, the outlet noted in its coverage that both “Noem and her staff charged more than $650,000 to state-issued credit cards,” while recent headlines still focus on “Noem’s credit card usage” and “Kristi Noem’s credit card expenses.”
“This is fake news,” Tim Murtaugh, a spokesman for Noem in her personal capacity, told Fox News Digital of the outlet’s reports in recent months. “They’ve been told it’s fake news, and it’s been proven to them, but they’re still at it.”
“They’re trying to raise their own profile by attacking Kristi Noem because she’s a major public figure from the state, and now that she’s the Secretary of Homeland Security, she’s an even bigger target,” he said. “She’s busy doing her job and won’t be distracted from securing the border and keeping Americans safe as an important part of President Trump’s Cabinet. These journalists are definitely bringing attention to themselves, but not in the way they imagined.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and a cease-and-desist letter. (Getty Images)
NOEM SHOWS OFF MUGSHOTS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WITH CRIMINAL RECORDS: ‘UNBELIEVABLE’
Noem’s then-gubernatorial office sent a letter in October 2024 to The Dakota Scout requesting a correction to its previous report characterizing Noem as personally spending hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars.
The letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, detailed that in 2019 Noem did not have a government-issued credit card, that she spent $55.44 on her card in 2020, $841.21 in 2021, $730.19 in 2022, $429.88 in 2023 and $0 in 2024. The grand total comes to $2,056.72 in expenses on Noem’s card specifically.
Noem’s gubernatorial office told the outlet in the letter that the office of the state auditor initially provided the outlet with a spreadsheet of monthly official expenses “for several state employees, not just the governor,” which Noem’s office said led to the outlet’s “incorrect conclusion that ‘The monthly totals show that Noem spent nearly $650,000 from the time she took office in 2019 through April of this year.’”
The outlet acknowledged that the governor’s office had requested a correction but brushed off the email, including writing “heh” in the response.
“I have reviewed your letter. We do not comment on pending litigation. Heh,” read the email, which was sent by The Dakota Scout co-founder, Jonathan Ellis.
“I’m certain you will have the opportunity to fully explain your reasoning when you are deposed,” the email, which was reviewed by Fox Digital, added.
The cease-and-desist letter sent Thursday demanded that the outlet correct previous headlines and graphics or likely face a lawsuit.
NOEM REVEALS MAJOR MILESTONE ON BORDER CROSSINGS AMID TRUMP’S CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
“Demand is hereby made that you immediately cease and desist reporting that my client spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on her government-issued credit cards and correct any headlines or graphics stating the same, and to notify your readers of these facts,” the letter reads. “Otherwise, we will consider all legal remedies, including a lawsuit seeking maximum compensatory and punitive damages, that we estimate at millions of dollars.”
“We understand the benefit of transparency in government, but articles that are false, misleading, and deceptive do not provide transparency. Instead, such repeatedly false, misleading, and inaccurate reporting constitutes defamation,” the letter said.
The total credit card expenses for the office included payments for Noem’s security detail, including when the detail would accompany her on the road. Noem rose to national prominence amid the pandemic in 2020, as she bucked COVID-19 mandates to the applause of conservatives nationwide and to the dismay of liberal voters and Democrat colleagues.
Retired New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik told Fox News Digital on Thursday that “complaints about these expenditures are ludicrous,” citing that her high-profile on the national stage required that she have a security detail.
GOV. KRISTI NOEM SAYS SOUTH DAKOTA IS DOING WELL BECAUSE IT HAS EMBRACED TRUMP’S POLICIES
“Kristi Noem was and is a high-profile public official who faces real security threats, including during the time when she was governor of South Dakota,” he said. “A governor is never off-duty and requires the same level of protection regardless of whether they are in their home state or traveling out of state,” he said. “And the level of security they need would be assessed by the security experts providing the protection, not by the governor herself. It’s the same for all protectees — if you want to keep these people safe, it costs money.”
Retired New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik told Fox News Digital on Thursday that “complaints about these expenditures are ludicrous.” (Bryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images)
The former governor and current Trump admin official has previously faced threats, including in 2020 when her security detail was activated after a man was spotted brandishing a knife and a baton during a campaign tour promoting President Donald Trump’s re-election that year.
President Donald Trump attends a town hall, moderated by then-South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center and Fairgrounds in Oaks, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 14, 2024. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
The majority of The Dakota Scout’s coverage on the expenses was authored by journalists Ellis and Austin Goss.
Goss previously made national headlines in 2023 when he was arrested for impersonating Noem in what he said was a prank phone call. Goss was arrested in May 2023 after using a prank website to make it appear a phone call was made from Noem’s personal cellphone number.
Goss used a prerecorded prank message called “Mafia Guy Got Vaccines” while calling the former chairman of the South Dakota Republican Party and impersonating Noem.
TRUMP EXPECTED TO CHOOSE SOUTH DAKOTA GOV. KRISTI NOEM FOR HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY, SOURCE SAYS
Goss ultimately was fired by his then-employer, Dakota News Now, and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge, multiple outlets reported at the time.
He was initially charged with a misdemeanor count of making threatening, harassing or misleading contacts, which carried a maximum penalty of up to a year in prison. The journalist’s lawyer argued amid court proceedings that the call was just a “practical joke” between Goss and a friend.
Following the plea, Goss sent an apology letter to Noem that underscored that he has “a great deal of respect for” the then-governor and that Noem was “the reason that I moved to South Dakota in the first place in 2020.”
“I also apologize for the strain my mistake has understandably caused within your office,” Goss wrote in his letter to Noem, which was obtained by Fox News Digital.
“Given my line of work, it has not always felt like it I am sure — but I care about you, your family, and your current and former staff. Many of the people you work with, or have worked with, are personal friends of mine and I deeply value their relationships both professionally and personally. I owe them a similar apology for what they had to endure as a consequence of my actions, and the trust that I breached in doing what I did,” he wrote.
The South Dakota State Capitol is photographed in Pierre, South Dakota. (Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Goss has recently been floated as a potential candidate to run for state auditor in South Dakota, with the journalist telling a state political blog in February that he “views himself as a government watchdog.”
A source familiar with South Dakota politics told Fox News Digital that there is a “small group of people in” the Mount Rushmore State “who feel like they can get a seat at the grown-ups table if they attack Kristi Noem.”
“It’s ironic that they want to be like her, but they do that by attacking her and refusing to see what’s good for the whole team, which is a stupid and self-defeating strategy. It’s the same old problem we’ve seen before. Too many coyotes and not enough jackrabbits,” the source said.
Fox Digital learned that Noem’s legal team plans to send similar cease-and-desist letters to other outlets characterizing the $650,000 in expenditures were made specifically by the former governor.
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For generations of Detroiters, the Dakota Inn Rathskeller has been more than a bar—it’s been a ritual. A place where communal tables, steins raised high, and the familiar sound of German folk songs have created a sense of belonging that transcends time. Now, as the city continues its cultural resurgence, the Dakota Inn is entering a bold new chapter—one that honors its storied past while opening the doors to an entirely new kind of experience.
This summer, the transformation is unmistakable.
At the heart of the revival is a sprawling outdoor Biergarten—an ambitious expansion that reimagines the Dakota Inn as both a neighborhood anchor and a destination venue. Designed to evoke the charm of traditional European beer gardens while embracing Detroit’s gritty, creative energy, the space invites guests to linger. Long wooden tables stretch beneath open skies, string lights glow into the evening, and the hum of conversation blends with live music and clinking glasses. It’s communal, celebratory, and distinctly Detroit.
But the evolution doesn’t stop with beer.
The Dakota Inn is broadening its cultural reach with a thoughtfully curated lineup of events that extend far beyond its traditional roots. Jazz & Film Nights promise to turn warm evenings into immersive experiences, pairing live performances with classic and contemporary cinema. The concept feels both nostalgic and fresh—an echo of Detroit’s rich musical heritage layered with a modern, cinematic sensibility.
Wine tastings, too, are joining the calendar, signaling a more expansive approach to hospitality. These events aim to attract a wider audience while maintaining the venue’s approachable, convivial spirit. Whether you’re a seasoned enthusiast or simply curious, the goal is the same: bring people together around shared experiences.
And then there’s soccer.
With World Cup excitement on the horizon, the Dakota Inn is positioning itself as one of the city’s premier gathering spots for international watch parties. The Biergarten will come alive with fans from all backgrounds, united by the universal language of the game. Large screens, cold drinks, and a festival-like atmosphere will transform match days into something closer to a civic celebration than a simple viewing.
What makes this moment particularly compelling is the balance being struck. The Dakota Inn isn’t abandoning its identity—it’s expanding it. The familiar sing-alongs, the old-world décor, the sense of history etched into the walls—all of that remains. But now, it exists alongside new programming that reflects the diversity and dynamism of Detroit itself.
This is not a reinvention for reinvention’s sake. It’s a thoughtful evolution, rooted in the belief that historic spaces can—and should—adapt to the communities they serve.
On any given summer night, you might find a table of old friends singing a German drinking song, a couple discovering the space for the first time over a glass of wine, or a crowd gathered around a screen, erupting in cheers as a goal is scored thousands of miles away. Different scenes, different energies—but all part of the same story.
A new day has arrived at the Dakota Inn Rathskeller, and if this summer is any indication, its next chapter may be its most vibrant yet.
The Dakota Inn
17324 John R St, Detroit, MI 48203
(313) 867-9722
1st Costco in Milwaukee County
Costco is set to break ground on its first Milwaukee County location this week. The store will be located at 27th and Drexel in Franklin.
FRANKLIN, Wis. – Costco is set to break ground on its first Milwaukee County location this week. The store will be located at 27th and Drexel in Franklin.
“This has been a long and exciting planning process, and I know many people in Franklin are happy to hear this news,” said Franklin Mayor John Nelson. “I want to thank the Costco team for choosing our community to build its first store in Milwaukee County.”
The 164,000-square-foot facility will be built on more than 20 acres of land at South 27th Street and West Drexel Avenue — a site Northwestern Mutual used as its Franklin campus.
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The facility will feature a 12-pump gas station at the south end of the development and 868 parking spaces.
The store is set to open in November 2026.
Costco stores
What we know:
Costco currently has several stores surrounding Milwaukee County, but none within its borders. The Franklin store will be the company’s first in the county.
The Source: The information in this post was provided by the City of Franklin.
R, a day laborer from Ecuador who cleans houses for a living, waits for work outside a Home Depot in the Twin Cities, Minn. Although she has returned to work following Operation Metro Surge, R has seen both a decline in work opportunities as well as a decrease in hourly wages being offered.
Tim Evans for NPR
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Tim Evans for NPR
MINNEAPOLIS — Three months ago, masked ICE agents in unmarked vehicles descended on the Twin Cities as part of Operation Metro Surge, the Trump administration’s largest and most aggressive crackdown yet of immigrants.
The agents arrested thousands of undocumented immigrants, in what the Border Patrol commander then in charge there, Gregory Bovino, called a “turn and burn” strategy. Agents also threatened journalists and activists documenting the arrests, and shot and killed two U.S. citizens — Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
Back then, community members, fed up with the presence of ICE agents in their city, took to street corners across the city with whistles around their necks, ready to alert their neighbors of the presence of federal immigration agents. Neighborhoods created a network of volunteers who drove migrants to work, doctors’ appointments and brought people food who were too afraid to leave their homes.
Today Minneapolis looks different. The crackdown has receded, and arrests of immigrants have dropped 12%. Commander Bovino was forced to retire, and the neighborhood watches that tracked ICE SUVs are no longer as active. But the surge left a mark that enforcement statistics can’t capture, including a hollowed-out local economy that immigrants and their neighbors say they are struggling to rebuild.
A sign reading “A person was stolen from us by ICE here” hangs from a utility pole at Powderhorn Park in the wake of Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis, Minn. on April 10, 2026.
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Tim Evans for NPR
Mourners visit the memorial site for Alex Pretti, who was shot and killed by federal agents in January during Operation Metro Surge, in Minneapolis, Minn. on April 24, 2026.
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Tim Evans for NPR
“We were left traumatized,” said Y, a woman who asked NPR to identify her by her middle initial because she worries speaking out will affect her ongoing immigration case.
NPR talked to nine immigrants about how Operation Metro Surge upended their lives and how they’re adapting today.
Together, their stories map what the crackdown left behind: shuttered restaurants, households rationing groceries, mounting debt, mental health woes, and and, for some, a serious reckoning with whether to leave the United States to return to their home countries.
The seamstress
On the evening of January 13th, Y was headed home from one of her two jobs as a seamstress.
Life was going well and the prospects were bright: she had recently bought a house, and talked to her daughter about the prospect of sending her to college.
In the blink of an eye everything changed. Y said she was surrounded by unmarked vehicles while driving home from work. This was in the height of Operation Metro Surge, when streets were empty and masked ICE agents would drive around the city in unmarked cars and make random stops in the streets.
The immigration officers, she said, arrested her despite her showing them her work permit and documentation showing she had applied for a U visa, one given to victims of specific crimes.
The Ecuadoran spent a month being shuffled around multiple detention centers in the U.S. She said before being detained, she barely had debt.
But after being released from detention with an ankle monitor while her immigration case plays out, Y said things got bad.
Y, an Ecuadorean seamstress who was detained during Operation Metro Surge and sent to a detention facility in Texas despite having a work permit, sits for a portrait beside her daughter in Minneapolis, MN on April 23, 2026. Y’s month-long detention led to her losing one of her two jobs as well as amassing around $13,000 in debts related to legal fees, lost income, and travel costs, as she had to pay her own return expenses from Texas after being released.
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Tim Evans for NPR
Y, an Ecuadorean seamstress who was detained during Operation Metro Surge and sent to a detention facility in Texas despite having a work permit, shows the ankle monitor she is required to wear at her home in Minneapolis, Minn. on April 23, 2026. Y’s month-long detention led to her losing one of her two jobs as well as amassing around $13,000 in debts related to legal fees, lost income, and travel costs, as she had to pay her own return expenses from Texas after being released.
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Tim Evans for NPR
With no weekly paycheck, and with mounting legal fees, her debt skyrocketed.
“It was hard to come out of detention and find so much debt,” Y said.
Y’s 18-year-old daughter asked friends and family to borrow $7,500 to post bond for her mom. The daughter also asked for help to pay for the mortgage of the house, and to pay for utilities. Y now owes more than $13,000 to friends and family members who pooled their money.
Y recently started working again, and is looking for a second job, or even a third one.
Before detention, Y was hoping to save enough money to help send her 18-year-old daughter to college. The daughter wants to be a veterinarian.
But now she worries college may be out of reach.
“My dream was to see my daughter in college — I used to tell her, ‘don’t worry, I have two jobs and I will figure a way for you to graduate from the university,’” Y said. “Now we have to find scholarships. It’s been hard.”
The day laborers
During Operation Metro Surge, the areas where day laborers used to gather to get jobs — including the Home Depot or the empty lot on Lake Street — were completely emptied.
People enter and exit a Home Depot in the Twin Cities, MN on April 22, 2026. Day laborers often seek work opportunities outside of home improvement retail outlets, with such locations becoming a common target of immigration enforcement operations.
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V, a day laborer from Ecuador who went into hiding and lost employment for weeks during Operation Metro Surge, waits for work along East Lake Street in Minneapolis, Minn. on April 22, 2026.
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Tim Evans for NPR
But months after the operation ended, migrant workers have started to return for work.
V, an Ecuadorian man who asked NPR to identify him by the initial of his first name because he’s undocumented, said “everything changed” for day laborers.
He’s now behind on his rent, he said. Work has been slow and his hourly wage is down.
49-year-old R, another worker, used to get hired every day for work by camping out at the Home Depot lot. She told NPR she’d get paid anywhere from $20 to $25 per hour for cleaning offices and homes.
R, a day laborer from Ecuador who cleans houses for a living, waits for work outside a Home Depot in the Twin Cities, Minn. on April 22, 2026. Although she has returned to work following Operation Metro Surge, R has seen both a decline in work opportunities as well as a decrease in hourly wages being offered.
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Tim Evans for NPR
A week ago she went back to work. These days when she gets hired, she’s getting offered $15 to $17 per hour.
“It’s like starting again from zero,” R said. She asked NPR to use her first initial because she’s undocumented.
“ICE destroyed our lives psychologically and physically,” she said.
The restaurant owners in the brink of closing
The Hernandez family have owned the Mexican restaurant El Tejabal in Richfield, Minn., for nearly two decades. It is a staple in the community.
Owners Miguel Hernandez, Sr., and Rosa Zambrano said the surge in immigration agents created chaos in their restaurant: employees stopped coming, customers stopped eating in. They lost about 60% in sales.
“We won’t recover because those sales are not going to come back, and we still have to pay rent, and the cost of food has increased,” Zambrano said in Spanish.
Miguel Hernandez preps food at El Tejaban Mexican Grill, the family-run restaurant that he has owned with his wife Rosa Zambrano for nearly two decades, in Richfield, Minn. on April 22, 2026. The couple fears that they will need to close their restaurant when their current lease ends, as the business suffered dramatic revenue losses during Operation Metro Surge and has struggled to recover in the months since.
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Tim Evans for NPR
Miguel Hernandez reads an order slip at El Tejaban Mexican Grill, the family-run restaurant that he has owned with his wife Rosa Zambrano for nearly two decades, in Richfield, Minn. on April 22, 2026;
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Rosa Zambrano discusses administrative details with her daughter Diana and an employee in the office at El Tejaban Mexican Grill, the family-run restaurant that she has owned with her husband Miguel Hernandez for nearly two decades, in Richfield, Minn. on April 22, 2026.
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Tim Evans for NPR
The couple said they’ve decided to close in about two years, when their lease is up. They said they’ve crunched the numbers and realized there’s no chance for them to fully recover.
Both Zambrano and Hernandez Sr. are 60 years old and they were hoping to save some money for their retirement. That’s not possible anymore.
“We are not saving money to continue the business,” Zambrano said. “We are saving to pay rent.”
Daughter Dianna Hernandez, 27, works at the restaurant and during the surge she said she had to lock its doors because of the presence of ICE agents in the parking lot.
Rosa Zambrano, Dianna Hernandez, and Miguel Hernandez at El Tejaban Mexican Grill, in Richfield, Minn. Dianna’s parents have owned the restaurant for nearly two decades.
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Tim Evans for NPR
She doesn’t want to see the restaurant close — but she acknowledges Operation Metro Surge changed their lives, even though she and the rest of the family are U.S. citizens.
“This is where I grew up, this is all I know and to just think and hear them say we are going to close in two to three years, and the way it’s ending, I hate it for them,” she said.
The family who lost it all
Many people who talked to NPR have relied on their children, their community and their savings to continue to live. But others are facing economic ruin.
“The economic, emotional, traumatic impact of everything that we went through here in Minneapolis is going to be felt for years,” Myrka Zambrano, with the advocacy group Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, said.
A bill making its way through the Minnesota Legislature would create a $100 million relief program for small businesses impacted by the crackdown. But Zambrano said that’s not enough, especially when so many immigrants are struggling with other issues like food security and housing.
Pablo Alcaraz and María Peñalosa, a couple that has been living in the U.S. for more than 20 years, are struggling, too.
Husband and wife Pablo Alcaraz and Maria Peñalosa pose for a portrait outside their home in Inver Grove Heights, Minn. on April 22, 2026. The couple, who had to close their business Garibaldi Mexican Restaurant in West St. Paul after suffering dramatic revenue losses during Operation Metro Surge, have lost their only source of income.
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The commercial space that was previously home to Garibaldi Mexican Restaurant sits empty in West St. Paul, Minn. on April 28, 2026. The restaurant, which was owned by Pablo Alcaraz and his wife Maria Peñalosa, had to close after suffering dramatic revenue losses during Operation Metro Surge.
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The couple have work permits and a U visa — a type of visa given to victims of specific crimes.
Their whole life they had worked towards one dream — to open a restaurant.
But now the nonstop hum of the industrial fridge inside their cluttered trailer is a reminder of what could have been.
“It’s so unfair that in a few months the government has ended the work of 20 years,” Peñalosa said. “They ended our dreams.”
Their restaurant, Garibaldi Mexican Restaurant, went out of business as a direct result of Operation Metro Surge.
Before Operation Metro Surge, the couple said they would make about $15,000 in monthly profit, on average.
During Operation Metro Surge, sales evaporated. There were many days, he says, when they made almost nothing in profit.
Now they are living on the frozen meat and other food from the restaurant, but Alcaraz said they are likely to run out in a month.
“Once we run out of it, that’s when the problems will start,” he said.
Pablo Alcaraz becomes emotional as he and his wife Maria Peñalosa discuss the closure of their restaurant at their home in Inver Grove Heights, MN on April 22, 2026. The couple, who had to close Garibaldi Mexican Restaurant in West St. Paul after suffering dramatic revenue losses during Operation Metro Surge, have lost their only source of income.
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Tim Evans for NPR
Peñalosa, the wife, said she worries about her husband’s mental health. He doesn’t want to leave his bed, and is depressed, she said.
Alcaraz recognizes he’s desperate. He said that because he had to close the restaurant and has some debt, he doesn’t know whether he’ll be able to open a new restaurant or another business.
“How am I going to move forward? I’m practically dead,” he said, with tears in his eyes. “I need a credit line to open a restaurant, to pay rent, to reopen. I don’t have it. They killed me.”
This story was supported by the journalism non-profit the Economic Hardship Reporting Project.
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