ICE visits rattle D.C. restaurants
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D.C. restaurants are on edge amid escalating reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are targeting businesses across the city, demanding to see employment eligibility papers.
The big picture: President Trump has threatened D.C. immigration raids since before he took office, and they're coming to fruition in a high-profile way.
State of play: ICE activity was confirmed Tuesday at several restaurants, including local pizza chain Pupatella in Dupont Circle, Chef Geoff's near AU Park, Ghostburger in Shaw, and Millie's in Spring Valley, per Washingtonian and FOX5. Other unconfirmed reports flew around social media.
- At Millie's, Washingtonian reports that several officers, some armed, swarmed the upscale Nantucket-style restaurant around lunchtime, demanding I-9 papers. When ICE agents asked to question employees, a manager said they couldn't and wasn't met with resistance.
Owner Bo Blair told Washingtonian that he wasn't worried about his business, and he thinks the raids are misdirected.
- "We were under the impression that they were focusing on trying to find criminals," Blair, who once ran Georgetown's Republican hotspot Smith Point, told Washingtonian. "And this is just a whole new level of harassment to our hard-working, law-abiding employees."
Several restaurants and ICE didn't immediately return Axios' request for comment.
Zoom out: Restaurants across the country have prepared for immigration crackdowns since before Trump took office, educating employees on their rights, best practices and immigrant resources centers.
- In D.C., where restaurants were the targets of ICE activity during the first Trump administration, this recent bout of inspections was feared, but not unanticipated.
What they're saying: "It's unfortunate, but I think folks were prepared," Shawn Townsend, head of Washington's restaurant association, tells Axios.
- The organization offers resources for members, including instructions on having proper documentation in place, and has hosted sessions with immigration experts from the D.C. government and nonprofits.
- They're working now with CARECEN, a local Latino resource and justice organization, which Townsend says is preparing restaurants for ICE visits and follow-ups.
"We've run through a couple fire drills where rumors [of ICE activity] were swirling," Townsend tells Axios. "It sucks, but they're prepared for this."
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.