Immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump’s second term has been overwhelming for many. ICE raids expanded into cities, schools, workplaces, and even courthouses across the country.
A daily arrest quota was set, and Congress handed enforcement agencies more funding than any federal law enforcement operation in U.S. history.
And after federal judges blocked racial profiling during LA raids, the Supreme Court stepped in and temporarily allowed it anyway. It’s created a climate where a lot of people feel emboldened in ways they maybe didn’t before—and legal immigrants are feeling it in places you wouldn’t expect, like this movie theater in Sarasota, Florida.
Racial Profiling At The Theater
In a TikTok with 167,000 views, Jess (@jessi_ecfit) describes what happened to a close friend when he went out for a night at the Regal Hollywood Cinema in Sarasota.
The friend, who immigrated legally from Colombia, went to the bar inside the theater to order an alcoholic beverage, according to Jess. Jess says the bartender checked his ID and refused to serve him—not because he was underage but because he is not an American citizen.
“He’s in his mid-30s. So age was not a problem to the bartender,” Jess says. “She refused him services because he is not an American citizen.”
The friend calmly pushed back, explaining that his government ID is completely valid, and that’s not how the law works, Jess recalls. Jess says his friend asked to speak to a manager. The bartender, according to Jess, said she was the manager and still refused.
Jess says the friend left with his family rather than escalate the situation. Afterward, the friend, per Jess, sent a letter to Regal’s corporate headquarters, which had not received a response at the time Jess posted the video.
She also noted that when she looked at the cinema’s reviews, there were multiple complaints from customers who described being racially profiled and experiencing what they characterized as racism and that corporate had responded to a complaint about the thermostat but not to any of the discrimination complaints.
“If you would like to let Regal Cinema know that we do not want to spend our hard-earned money at establishments that are gonna racially profile, diminish, attack other people for not being American citizens and for not being white—I’m not gonna spend my money there,” Jess says. “This is not right.”
BroBible was able to confirm the existence of such reviews.
That’s Not How the Law Works
Florida’s alcohol service laws restrict the sale of alcohol based on one criteria: age. It is unlawful to serve alcohol to anyone under 21. Citizenship is not mentioned anywhere in the statute, because it has nothing to do with it.
Per the We Card program, a state-recognized alcohol compliance resource, accepted forms of ID in Florida include driver’s licenses, passports, and immigration cards. A government-issued ID from a legal immigrant is a valid form of identification for purchasing alcohol. There is no legal basis in Florida—or in U.S. federal law—for refusing alcohol service to someone on the grounds that they are not an American citizen.
Immigration Enforcement Under Trump’s Second Term
The broader context here matters. Since January 2025, the Trump administration has overhauled immigration enforcement in ways that have touched virtually every corner of American life.
Per the Council on Foreign Relations, ICE moved away from its previous focus on people with serious criminal records and expanded into general interior enforcement. Street arrests jumped elevenfold compared to the prior year, according to the Deportation Data Project.
The administration set a daily arrest target of 3,000 people and signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in July 2025, allocating roughly $170 billion to enforcement, making ICE the most well-funded federal law enforcement agency in U.S. history.
The reach has been wide. ICE conducted raids at restaurants, workplaces, and in residential neighborhoods. Agents operated in plainclothes and unmarked vehicles. More than 170 U.S. citizens were detained by immigration agents in 2025, according to ProPublica reporting cited by the American Immigration Council.
Federal courts repeatedly found evidence of racial profiling—stopping people based on appearance, language, or occupation. And when a Los Angeles judge tried to block it, the Supreme Court stepped in and temporarily allowed it to continue.
Legal immigrants have not been immune. The climate of enforcement and the rhetoric around it have bled into everyday interactions, with reports of people having their citizenship or immigration status questioned in public spaces.
Commenters React
Sarasota residents and others chimed in with their thoughts on the matetr.
“Don’t leave 1 star reviews. leave 2 star reviews they’re harder to delete,” a top comment read.
“As a Sarasota resident, I’m not surprised. 1. This is absolutely not a one off instance 2. Support Lakewood Ranch Cinema/Burns Court Cinema. Better pricing, better quality, much better staff,” a person said.
“That is called DISCRIMINATION and is HIGHLY ILLEGAL,” another wrote.
“As someone who lives nearby I will NEVER go to that cinema,” a commenter added.
@jessi_ecfit Hello everyone! I wanted to bring to your attention a very racist, prejudice, and harmful situation that happened to a friend of ours regarding Regal Hollywood and Sarasota 1993 Main St., Sarasota, FL this past weekend. My friend was refused services when he showed his valid Florida State drivers license, also known as the real ID because he was not a citizen. If this bartender had questions on the validity of his drivers license, his Florida State drivers license, then they should’ve said that and not questioned his CITEZENSHIP. Your help in letting Regal Cinema know that we do not want to spend our money in places that openly practice, racist and discriminatory practices would be greatly appreciated. #racism#discrimination#prejudice#racist#regalcinemas
BroBible reached out to Jess via TikTok direct message and comment and to Regal Cinemas via email. We’ll be sure to update this if they respond.