JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — As ICE presence in our area has ramped up this week, business has gone way down for one local Jacksonville Latin Restaurant.
“Normally, we have at least half of the restaurant full for lunch and it’s just been one person here and there,” the restaurant owner told Action News Jax.
The owner asked for her and her business to remain anonymous, out of fear they could end up being targeted by immigration agents.
At 1 PM, her restaurant had only one table with two customers.
She said it’s been like that since ICE operations began ramping up Tuesday, especially with Hispanic businesses being targeted.
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“I’ve heard a lot of people, oh they went to this other restaurant and they detained four employees. They detained customers,” said the owner. ”They went into another place in front of another Latin business and detained another person.”
She said even though her employees are here legally, there’s a constant atmosphere of fear, and she feels it too.
“I am an American citizen, but I am afraid,” said the owner. ”So, imagine somebody who, even though they are here legally, but they’re not, you know, I guess it’s just that immigrant mentality that I’m gonna do something wrong or I’m doing something wrong.”
She said she believes it doesn’t have to be this way, and the constant barrage of messaging on social media isn’t helping.
“It’s just instilling fear and I think that’s wrong,” said the owner.
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For community members, she is asking them to be brave, step up and help businesses like hers in these difficult times because the economic impact is taking a toll.
“Next week, I’m like okay, I might not be able to open the hours I normally open. I might have to reduce hours. That means I have to cut employees,” said the owner. ”So, it’s affecting not just the finances of the business but the finances of all of the employees that I have working for us and all of the families.”
And the owner told us none of her employees have been arrested or detained by ICE, nor has her business been the subject of a raid.
But unless fears in the community tamper down, she worries her business is likely to continue to suffer.,
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