Michigan TikToker says neighbors allegedly called ICE on her family. Then asked her mom to save them some tamales

Tamales take hours to make, and families often cook them in big batches meant for sharing. A Michigan mom is now splitting viewers online after she delivered homemade tamales to neighbors who allegedly called Immigration and Customs Enforcement on her Hispanic family. Her daughter, Andrea, filmed the entire process as her mother prepared to walk the food over, as reported by The Nerd Stash.

According to Andrea’s TikTok post, the neighbors had personally admitted to calling ICE on her family. Despite that, they still reached out and asked her mother to bring them some tamales the next time she made a batch. The mother promised to set a few aside, as she had already planned to cook some over the weekend.

The video starts in a home kitchen where Andrea’s mother is busy preparing a large batch of tamales. She works beside a big pot, carefully taking the corn dough treats out and placing them onto a plate. She then packs the food into two plastic bags, and the clip follows her outside as she heads to the neighbors’ home.

The video never shows what happened at the neighbors’ door

As the footage cuts off before the actual handoff, the interaction between the neighbors and the mother never makes it on camera. She still stuck to her word and delivered the food. Andrea captioned the clip, saying her mom still chose to give the neighbors tamales even after they allegedly called ICE on the family.

The reactions online have been split. Some viewers praised the mother for having a forgiving heart, as they saw the tamales as a way to handle conflict without escalating tension. However, others felt she was being far too nice to people who allegedly tried to get her family deported.

One commenter called it “so evil” that the neighbors reported the family and then requested food. Andrea did not name the neighbors in her post, and their side of the story has not surfaced. However, many commenters were in awe of Andrea’s mother’s strength. One even said, “She is a true example of what Jesus Christ calls us to be god bless your mom.” Another said, “the only thing more powerful than hate is love.”

The video comes as ICE’s enforcement push faces pushback, with ICE’s Chicago operation drawing protesters to the agency’s Broadview facility. Hispanic families have also landed at the center of other viral clips, including a ‘go back to Mexico’ outburst at a California couple’s proposal. However, Andrea’s video drew attention for a response that skipped the confrontation entirely.

Andrea ended her caption by writing that “Tia” wants to invite followers over for tamales someday, which suggests the family may keep sharing the dish on camera.