NWA businesses rally for immigrant community
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Pizzeria Ruby and ButterScotch Bakery and Bar display "'NO ICE" signs. Photos: Alex Golden/Axios
Northwest Arkansas businesses are responding to the Trump administration's immigration crackdown by raising money for immigrant rights organizations and refusing service to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
The big picture: The killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and detention of children have sparked outrage nationwide, even becoming a focal point at the Grammys.
Driving the news: Alliance for Immigrant Respect and Education (AIRE) on social media listed about 65 restaurants, breweries, coffee shops, book stores and other shops in the region that raised money for the organization over the weekend.
- Some were also raising money for organizations like Canopy NWA, which focuses on refugees.
- AIRE co-founder Irvin Camacho declined to share exactly how much the organization received in donations, citing security concerns, but told Axios the amount was in the "several thousands."
Context: Many local businesses expressed on social media that they couldn't afford to close for a national economic blackout in protest on Friday, especially given the winter weather that kept people at home earlier in the week. They opted to instead give a portion of their sales to immigrant rights groups.
- Some got creative, like ButterScotch Bakery and Bar in downtown Bentonville, which sold anti-ICE cupcakes with the proceeds going toward immigrant rights groups.
- Vault, a downtown Fayetteville bar, posted on social media, "We like our cocktails with NO ICE," and pledged to donate $1 from the sale of every cocktail typically served with ice to AIRE.
- AIRE was established in December 2024 to facilitate education and civic engagement around immigration issues, provide resources in multiple languages and watch for ICE activity in NWA, Camacho said.
Zoom in: Pizzeria Ruby in Johnson began making anti-ICE signage for businesses and residents on Friday and had given away more than 200, co-owner Meredith Butler told Axios on Tuesday.
- Signs on Pizzeria Ruby's front door state the business refuses service to ICE agents, knows its rights and does not permit entry without a judicial warrant signed by a judge.
- They've received an overwhelming amount of support and little negative feedback, co-owner and chef Mike Robertshaw said.
What they're saying: "What we're seeing is due process isn't being adhered to, and so for me it's about the safety of our guests and our staff and marginalized communities," Butler said.
- Robertshaw noted he grew up in New England with immigrants and people of many cultures who could respect each other. He doesn't see basic human rights as a political stance, he said.
- "There's lots of choices of how to approach immigration reform that don't include dehumanizing people," Butler said.
Go deeper: Hundreds of Springdale High School students walked out of school on Tuesday to protest the immigration crackdown, 40/29 reported. More than 200 Fayetteville High School students walked out on Monday, the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported.
- A candlelight vigil to honor Pretti took place in Fayetteville on Sunday, 40/29 reported.