Coca-Cola is facing severe backlash following rumours that the company laid off Latino employees and reported them to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under President Donald Trump's watch.
The “Latino Freeze Movement” started as a response to Trump’s executive orders that dismantled federal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives while intensifying immigration enforcement.
Calls to boycott Coca-Cola gained momentum after unverified reports surfaced, claiming that the company not only terminated Latino employees at a Texas bottling plant but also reported them to ICE.
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“The accusation that The Coca-Cola Company called immigration authorities to assist in the separation of undocumented workers is unequivocally false,” a spokesperson for Coca-Cola told Snopes.
The CEO of Coca-Cola delivered a commemorative Diet Coke bottle to President Trump, which intensified public scrutiny of the company towards its DEI policies, although the company has yet to announce any policy updates.
“Latinos and Latinas stop spending money,” the movement’s website states. “Hold the line. We can all collectively make a big impact by simply holding and not spending our money.”
The rumours gained traction on social media, particularly through TikTok
{{/usCountry}}“Latinos and Latinas stop spending money,” the movement’s website states. “Hold the line. We can all collectively make a big impact by simply holding and not spending our money.”
The rumours gained traction on social media, particularly through TikTok
{{/usCountry}}One viral video from employment lawyer Trang Tran alleged that Coca-Cola laid off “thousands of Latin American workers” at the so-called “Cerberus Bottling Plant” in Texas and then reported them to ICE. Another widely shared video in Spanish, with almost three million views, falsely claimed that the company later attempted to apologize for notifying immigration authorities.
However, there are no verifiable reports indicating that Coca-Cola has terminated large numbers of employees. Plus, no records exist of a “Cerberus Bottling Plant” in Texas.
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The members of the Latino Freeze Movement actively urge Latinos to adopt Latin American brands instead of U.S. ones in response to Trump's proposed Mexican and Canadian trade tariffs.
The US population includes Latinos at approximately 20 percent, based on 2023 census statistics. The Latin American market receives Coca-Cola products through their widespread operations serving approximately 530 million consumers with $120 billion.