Marcello’s in Lafayette Explains ‘Ice, Ice, Baby’ Sign After Complaints

LAFAYETTE, La. (KMDL-FM) - If you've driven by Marcello's Wine Market on Johnston in Lafayette recently, you may have noticed "Ice, Ice, Baby" on the store's marquis. If you haven't, many other people have, and have been expressing their opinions about it to Marcello's, condemning them for supporting ICE agents currently conducting their "Swamp Sweep" and "Operation Catahoula Crunch," through New Orleans.

But, is having "Ice, Ice, Baby" on the store's sign actually supporting the ICE sweeps in New Orleans, or are people misunderstanding Marcello's intentions behind it?

The owner, along with an employee, recently took the store's Facebook page to explain.

What Is the New Orleans ICE 'Swamp Sweep'?

The “Swamp Sweep” is the nickname for an ICE enforcement operation being conducted in Louisiana, especially in the New Orleans Field Office region. The operation covers Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, and Tennessee, but operations branded as “Swamp Sweep” have been largely centered on South Louisiana.

This actually isn't the first time an ICE "Swamp Sweep" has been conducted in South Louisiana. The operation has happened in 2019-2020 and 2022-2024 previously.

READ MORE: South Louisiana's Best Gumbo

With current ICE sweeps being conducted throughout the U.S. and currently in New Orleans, it's a political hot button for supporters and protesters of the operations.

Marcello's Wine Market in Lafayette put "Ice, Ice, Baby" on the store's sign facing Johnston Street three months ago, but is recently drawing the ire of people taking it as Marcello's showing support for ICE operations.

But, is that what's really going on here?

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Marcello's Wine Market owner Tim Metcalf along with General Manager Simone recently took to the store's Facebook page to post a video explaining what the whole "Ice, Ice, Baby" thing is all about.

As the video starts, Metcalf immediately explains that Marcello's has had "Ice, Ice, Baby" on the store's marquis for the past three months.

Ice agents didn't begin to conduct "Operation Catahoula Crunch" until the beginning of December of this year. Once this operation began in New Orleans, that's when the complaints began rolling in, even though "Ice, Ice, Baby" had been on the store's sign for months before.

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Metcalf starts off the video by saying "We've had a sign up for 3 months trying to sell out bourbon ice, it says 'ice, ice, baby' on the sign. All of a sudden we're getting complaints saying that we're supporting ICE."

Metcalf then points to the bourbon ice that he's holding and says "This is the ice that we're supporting guys."

He then introduces Simone, his General Manager and asks her if she'd like to show her Green Card.

Simone then explains that she is a British citizen and has been a permanent resident in the United States for the past 25 years.

Simone then says in response to Marcello's misunderstood supporting of ICE "There is no way we would support something like that, or post it on our sign outside."

Hopefully this video helps to clear up anyone confusion over why Marcello's has "Ice, Ice, Baby" on their sign.

You can see the video over on the Marcello's Wine Market Facebook page.