A Las Vegas ice cream truck has been caught up in a social media furor after being mistaken for an Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicle.
In a now-deleted TikTok video, a woman posted a video of Billy Settlemyers’s Las Vegas Ice Cream Patrol van, which bears a resemblance to a U.S. law enforcement vehicle, stating: “Please be on the lookout for ‘ice cream’ trucks… they ever play music to get people to come outside… this is actually so sick.”
Tensions with immigration are at an all-time high since President Donald Trump announced he was ordering a mass deportation of thousands of illegal immigrants in the U.S. just hours after taking office on January 20.
As soon as the video went live, online users convinced by the claim the van was a legitimate ICE van began to slate Settlemyers’ business and accused him of working with the federal government.
Settlemyers told 8NewsNow “I’m an ice cream man that’s it” and added that ICE patrol vehicles do not use vehicles manufactured in 1985.
The business owners’ van is distinguishable from the typical ICE patrol vehicles as it shows the range of ice creams available on the side. However, it shares a black and white design along with an embellished fake police badge on the side – a design choice, Settlemyers insisted was “nice and clean and approachable – safe for kids”.
He also shared with the outlet that often people would ask if he was ex-law enforcement.
Since the viral post, Settlemyers said his safety had been compromised and left him feeling “like a target”, adding that posting fake claims such as that can often result in dangerous repercussions.
TikTok viewers reportedly began to believe the claims and started firing abuse at him online,
One user is said to have posted: “ICE is in Las Vegas. Please stay safe. They had a checkpoint… one even disguised as an ice cream truck”, according to 8NewsNow.
ICE has been posting daily statistics on X since Trump became President which as of Monday stood at 1,1179 arrests and 853 detainers lodged according to the department’s latest announcement.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro landed himself in hot water Sunday after he decided to block two military planes carrying Colombians deported from the U.S. – a move that resulted in Trump threatening harsh tariffs on US imports. However, President Petro quickly backtracked after the response and agreed to allow the migrants to return.
Many migrant families are reportedly living in fear in light of Trump’s harsh policies, and Mexico is building temporary shelters in anticipation of an influx of deportees.
