Was the Louisiana ICE raid related to a pending tax vote?

HOSSTON, La. (KTAL/KMSS)—ICE detained seven employees at the TA Truckstop in Hosston, and some wonder if the incident is linked to the Caddo Parish Commission’s proposed TIF tax on the truckstop.

Regarding the ICE raid, Caddo Commissioner Victor Thomas said, “This information is a distraction from what we’re really doing, and what it really is a distraction is against the further development of Caddo Parish.”

The truck stop is in Caddo Commissioner Chris Kracman’s district. While some commissioners support the tax, saying it will help spur more economic development in the Hosston area, Kracman does not.

He said, “I’m standing by what I ran on, and making taxes higher is definitely not one of those things.”

Some at a recent Hosston Council meeting questioned the timing of the illegals’ detention while the Caddo Commission is debating the tax and voting on it soon.

Jimmy Silvo, the developer and owner of the truck stop, says they were targeted. He said he spoke to ICE, and they told him they were tipped off by someone calling and reporting the truck stop.

Kracman said he knew nothing of the raid and only found out after his constituents asked him about it.

If the tax passes, the developer has already drawn up a master plan for the area around the truck stop and plans to expand.

He said, “I got guys calling about an RV park and repair shop and things like that.”

The proposed tax will be an additional 2% on top of the state’s taxes on merchandise in the truck stop only, excluding gas.

The Caddo Parish Commission is expected to vote on the truck stop tax on Thursday, March 20th.