A bar in Idaho has ignited a fierce national debate after launching a provocative social media promotion offering a month of free beer to customers who assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in making arrests.
The Controversial Offer
The Old State Saloon in Eagle, a suburb of Boise, posted the offer on Saturday, 30th November. It explicitly told patrons that anyone who helps ICE identify and ultimately deport an undocumented immigrant from Idaho would receive free beer for an entire month. The establishment added that it might award multiple months of free drinks to one person if they were responsible for multiple deportations.
The bar instructed potential informants to send a detailed email with any evidence, including photos, videos, a summary of events, and specific dates and times, directly to the saloon's email address. The post quickly gained traction, receiving significant support from followers of the MAGA movement, while critical comments from those opposed to ICE's tactics were described as few and far between.
Political Backdrop and Public Reaction
This eyebrow-raising offer emerges as the Trump administration has deployed hundreds of ICE agents into Democrat-led cities to target undocumented immigrants. Officials claim their wide-ranging deportation campaign is on track to break records, with more than 515,000 people deported since the president took office.
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated the administration was on pace to shatter historic records, crediting the president's agenda for revitalising an agency she claimed was previously vilified. Combined with another 1.6 million people the administration says have self-deported, officials credit Trump with sending over two million undocumented people out of the country.
Meanwhile, the bar's post became a flashpoint on social media. While many right-leaning users praised the effort, some even offering to pay for the free drinks or buy the owner a round, others were outraged. One critic commented, You would have turned in Anne Frank, while another stated, That's a cheap price to sell your soul. When one user threatened, Time to cancel this place, the bar defiantly replied, Good luck.
Escalation and Official Endorsement
Rather than back down, The Old State Salomon leaned into the controversy. The bar shared screenshots of one-star reviews left on its Google Business page, mockingly captioning them, And the 1 star reviews roll in from the loser LEFT.
In a further twist, the bar later extended its offer, promising a free beer to any undocumented immigrant wishing to self-deport before ICE arrived to pick them up. The promotion received a public show of support from the Department of Homeland Security, which reshared the bar's original post with an approving GIF. The bar enthusiastically responded, Let's go! Deport them all!
This is not the first time the saloon, owned by Mark Fitzpatrick, has courted controversy. In 2024, the bar held Heterosexual Awesomeness Month, offering discounts and free beer to heterosexual men and women during the month of June, which coincides with Pride Month.
