Multiple true and false reports of immigration enforcement at D.C.-area restaurants and playgrounds have increased concerns among the immigrant community.
This week, several D.C. restaurants saw visits, among them Chef Geoff鈥檚 and Millie鈥檚 in Northwest.
鈥淭hey came in through the entrances, asked to speak to our employees. We told them ‘no,’鈥� Millie’s owner Bo Blair said.
Blair said Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, some of whom were armed, visited his restaurant Tuesday morning. The agents, Blair said, asked for employees’ information and were told by his general manager that those records were not kept at the restaurant.
Blair said agents were seeking I-9 information 鈥� the Employment Eligibility Verification form that is used to determine if employees are authorized to work in the U.S.
Blair said his staff was left with 鈥渁 bunch of paperwork鈥� and management was told the agents would return next week.
鈥淓verybody’s working under the assumption that they were going after people involved in criminal activity. Now, it’s like a whole other level of things to deal with 鈥� harassment of hardworking people that have been here for many, many years, law-abiding, established great lives for them and their families here, and are now extremely scared that they’re going to be deported back to their country,鈥� he said.
Blair said he is offering support to his workers who may be concerned and is helping them access information about their rights. He said this is another blow to D.C. restaurants that are dealing with inflation and still recovering from the pandemic.
The visit has left some staff shaken, Blair said, and two employees have not returned to work.
“The immigrant community is the backbone of the restaurant industry. Without them, restaurants will not exist in this city and across the country,” he said.
An ICE spokesperson said in a statement to 百花视频 that no arrests were made during their visits to the D.C. restaurants.
鈥淯.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations is conducting worksite enforcement across the nation to ensure businesses are following U.S. immigration and employment laws. This includes recent worksite enforcement operations the D.C. area, during which more than 100 Notice of Inspections were served to local employers at various business,” the statement reads. “No arrests were made as part of these worksite enforcement operations.”