ICE Agent Ate Meal Before Arresting the Kitchen Staff, Says Restaurant Owner
In the first 100 days of the Trump administration, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office arrested more than 40,000 people suspected of being in the country illegally, nearly a 40% increase from the same period of time last year. They are acting on President Trump's Executive Orders to crack down on illegal immigration - but some critics believe their methods occasionally go too far.
This week, ICE arrested three employees at Sava's, a restaurant in Ann Arbor, MI, after learning of their immigration status. Restaurant owner Sava Lelcaj says the officers ate breakfast at the restaurant before they stopped, questioned, and eventually charged the staffers.
"It's really sad," Lelcaj said. "It scares the whole community. Today's a great indication [that] even if you have your documentation, and you're at the wrong place at the wrong time, you can still be at risk."
When asked directly about whether or not the ICE officers ate food served by the illegal immigrants before arresting them, spokesperson Lou Martinez would not comment. Instead, he sent a statement to Delish: "Aliens who illegally enter the United States and those who overstay or otherwise violate the terms of their visas have violated our nation's laws and can pose a threat to national security and public safety. Aliens in violation of the immigration laws are subject to immigration arrest, detention, and placement in removal proceedings."
The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that 28% of all restaurant dishwashers in the United States are undocumented immigrants. More than one in 10 American servers or food preppers are also unauthorized.
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