ICE Raids Restaurant Owned by CBS News Anchor's Husband
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A popular restaurant owned by CBS News anchor Norah O'Donnell's husband was one of several businesses targeted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Tuesday.
Agents targeted Chef Geoff's, founded by Geoff Tracy, in Northwest Washington D.C., along with multiple other businesses, seeking out I-9 employment authorization documents.
Newsweek reached out to ICE via email and Chef Geoff's via contact form for comment Wednesday morning.
Why It Matters
The District of Columbia is considered a sanctuary city, meaning the heart of a federal government now focused on tougher immigration policy sits within an area where local law enforcement generally does not work with ICE agents.
Geoff Tracy and Norah O'Donnell attend the 2024 Kennedy Center Honors at The Kennedy Center on December 08, 2024 in Washington, DC. Right: A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.
Geoff Tracy and Norah O'Donnell attend the 2024 Kennedy Center Honors at The Kennedy Center on December 08, 2024 in Washington, DC. Right: A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic/AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File
What To Know
Reports of planned ICE enforcement action caused concern among Washington, D.C.'s immigrant community Monday, with agents arriving at various businesses across the city Tuesday morning, including Chef Geoff's.
Fox 5 reported that U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials were at the restaurant on New Mexico Avenue at around 10:30 a.m., asking to see I-9 employee forms.
While other restaurants were targeted in the sweep, the links to O'Donnell and CBS News were not lost on social media, with some Trump supporters saying this is what they had voted for. Critics of the president suggested the raid was politically motivated given its connection to CBS News, with whom the president is currently embroiled in a lawsuit, and because no one was taken into custody. The White House has not commented.
I-9 forms are usually issued by employers during the hiring process, to ensure that an individual is legally allowed to work in the U.S. Some managers had to explain that records were not kept on site. Other businesses then reportedly moved to keep their doors closed for the rest of the day.
President Trump has been vocal in his displeasure at how D.C. is currently run, issuing an executive order aimed at the "beautification" of the capital. Immigration advocacy group CASA told ABC News it believed ICE was using this order to back its operation Tuesday.
When the president returned to the White House, the restaurant industry was among those fearful of tougher immigration policies, as a large share of its workers are migrants, and an unknown number do not have legal status.
Some business leaders have said they support stronger border security and vetting measures, while also calling on the administration to create easier legal pathways for workers.
What People Are Saying
The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, in a statement to Newsweek: "Immigrants make up a significant portion of our workforce at all levels. From dishwashers to executive chefs to restaurant owners, immigrants are irreplaceable contributors to our most celebrated restaurants and beloved neighborhood establishments. The immigrant workforce has been essential to sustaining and growing our local restaurant industry and has been a major contributor to our local economy.
"The metropolitan Washington area's restaurant industry employs over 60,000 people and generates billions in annual revenue. At a time when our economy is already fragile, losing even one staff member at a single establishment has a profound impact on the operations of a restaurant and its ability to serve patrons. Disrupting restaurant staffing across the industry can create a damaging ripple effect felt immediately throughout the entire local economy."
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, speaking to reporters Tuesday morning: "I have heard those reports, I've been getting them all morning. I am disturbed by them. It appears that ICE is at restaurants or even in neighborhoods, and it doesn't look like they're targeting criminals. It is disrupting. This is not an [Metropolitan Police Department] action, there is no MPD activity involved."
Amy Fischer, of Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid, in a statement to ABC: "If ICE wants to snatch up every single immigrant working in food service and delivery, then the entire industry will collapse."
President Trump's executive order on D.C.: "It is the policy of the United States to make the District of Columbia safe, beautiful, and prosperous by preventing crime, punishing criminals, preserving order, protecting our revered American monuments, and promoting beautification and the preservation of our history and heritage."
What's Next
ICE is yet to announce the results of its operation, with further operations across the U.S. expected to continue as the Trump administration looks to deliver on its promise of mass deportations.
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