On Tuesday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents visited a restaurant in Washington, DC owned by Nora O’Donnell’s husband.
ICE agents entered Chef Jeff’s restaurant around 10:30 AM, checking staff I-9 forms, which understandably led to panic among the employees. Reports indicate that nearly 12 law enforcement agencies and immigration officers in uniforms were present during the visit.
Chef Jeff’s restaurant is owned by Jeff Tracy, O’Donnell’s spouse.
The agents spent about 90 minutes at the location, but no arrests were made.
“There’s a lot of anxiety, which I think is pretty bad. The way ICE is handling things—it feels like they’re sending people to El Salvador and other countries as if to concentration camps,” remarked a local resident during an interview.
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser mentioned that she was receiving continuous updates about the situation.
“I’ve been getting those reports all morning. It seems like ICE is present in restaurants and even neighborhoods, but it doesn’t appear to be targeting actual criminals. It feels a bit scattered,” she commented.
It seems the agents were specifically checking I-9 forms to verify if employees were authorized to work in the country.
“While no one has been detained, it’s disruptive to have officials conducting these checks during lunch. It raises serious concerns about the tactics being used,” Bowser added.
“There’s a real sense of fear. Immigration workers make up a huge part of Washington’s restaurant industry. I feel there could have been a less intrusive way to gather the information those agents needed,” she further stated.
There appears to be a double standard regarding how illegal immigrants are treated versus other groups. Why, for instance, should only one demographic be exempt from standard inspections? Where’s the outrage when health inspectors or OSHA show up?
If surprise inspections are necessary, they should be applied consistently, not selectively based on immigration status.
