WASHINGTON: When armed immigration agents made a surprise visit earlier this month to Pupatella, a trendy pizzeria in the US capital's Dupont neighborhood, they may not have made any arrests, but they delivered a clear message.
The show of force, part of an "enhanced operation" by President Donald Trump's hardline administration, has had ripple effects through an industry reliant on immigrant labor, owners and others in the sector say.
The agents asked to see employment eligibility forms known as I-9s, said Natasha Neely, vice president of Pupatella, which has several locations in the Washington area.
"They did not have a warrant, and they did not have any form of paperwork, so they were turned away," she told AFP.
A few hours later, agents showed up at Pupatella's Capitol Hill location, this time with a "notice of inspection," Neely said. The manager referred them to the restaurant's corporate office.
The immigration and customs enforcement (ICE) agency said it had arrested 189 undocumented migrants after handing out 187 such notices in the Washington area between May 6 and May 9.
In a press release, it described the activity as an "enhanced targeted immigration enforcement operation focusing on criminal alien offenders."
While the inspection notices are not unusual, Neely said, they are normally delivered by e-mail due to their administrative nature.
"We have never experienced anything like this," she said, expressing confusion about why the restaurant had been targeted.
Crackdown fear
Trump has made deporting undocumented immigrants a key priority for his second term, after successfully campaigning against an alleged "invasion" by criminals.
So far, his administration has deported tens of thousands of migrants, with US courts hearing cases on allegations that the government violated due process in certain cases.
Undocumented migrants are "the backbone of our industry. From top to bottom," Shawn Townsend, president of the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW), told AFP.
In addition to the restaurant industry, immigrant labor plays a crucial role in many sectors of the economy, including agriculture and construction.
Before Trump's inauguration in January, RAMW knew immigration enforcement "was going to be a priority of the incoming administration, and so we held our first I-9 training workshop," said Townsend.
One restaurant owner, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he felt threatened when immigration agents recently visited his establishment.
"I'm going to see what the repercussions of that are. Basically, I don't know whether they're going to fine me forever or try to put me in jail," he said.
Labor impacts
According to a survey by employment law firm Littler Mendelson, 58 percent of executives said they were concerned Trump's anti-immigration policies would create labor shortages.
The manufacturing and hospitality sectors were the most concerned.
Since his restaurant was visited, the owner who requested anonymity said "anyone who had any questions about their eligibility to work has left."
"They were advised by advocates... to basically just lay low, not come into work."
Townsend said that the "political climate" and economic challenges facing small businesses were likely combining to raise anxiety among restaurant workers.
Increased immigration enforcement, as during Trump's first term in office, "creates a scenario where (staff) may not return to work," he said.
Neely said employees at Pupatella were startled by the surprise ICE visit, but that the restaurant was taking steps to address the situation.
"We've made sure all of the managers know what the restaurants' rights are and what each team member's rights are," she said.
Nevertheless, the raids do have a chilling effect.
"Let's be honest, if anyone shows up at any location in a federal uniform with guns and vests... that's unnerving."
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