A Southwest Detroit food truck owner who went viral for selling hot dogs on TikTok is now behind bars and facing deportation, according to a new report from WXYZ.
26-year-old Nayeli Ruiz, owner of Doppy’s Fire Hot Dogs, was originally charged last month with assaulting, resisting, and obstructing police after Detroit officers shut down her street stand at Springwells and Vernor. What began as a permit compliance stop has since escalated into a full-blown immigration case that could remove her from the country after more than two decades in the U.S.
According to WXYZ, police bodycam video shows Ruiz being detained after officers asked whether she had the proper food vendor licenses. Her attorney, Ryan Hill, says Ruiz did not have her ID on her at the time and was attempting to call her lawyer when officers grabbed her. “She pulled back. He grabbed her and snatched her up. She was scared,” co-owner Eric Gibson told the station, adding that Ruiz is the mother of six children and has worked hard to grow her small business.
Hill says Ruiz’s applications for the necessary city permits were pending when the confrontation occurred. He says the arrest was unnecessary and claims Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) later detained Ruiz, who is now being held in a federal facility, separated from her children.
“My client is detained. Hair pulled. Forced into a police car. This is for selling hot dogs with applications pending,” Hill told WXYZ.
Detroit police have previously defended the incident, saying Ruiz failed to comply with repeated orders to shut down an unlicensed operation that had drawn a large crowd. Former FBI Supervisor Andy Bartnowak told the station that while people sympathize with Ruiz’s situation, the law still applies. “Whether you’re here legally, a citizen or not, it doesn’t give you the right to refuse lawful orders,” he said.
Ruiz’s case now highlights a broader clash between Detroit’s small-business permit rules and the growing number of entrepreneurs using social media to launch side-street food ventures. What began as a viral story about a local woman selling hot dogs has turned into a high-stakes legal battle that could end with her deportation.
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