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As activists took to the streets Monday to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportations, rumors of impending raids quickly spread through San Francisco’s restaurant community, causing at least one high-profile spot to temporarily close and owners of others to consider doing the same.
Delfina, the 26-year-old Cal-Italian restaurant on 18th Street near Guerrero in the Mission, did not open for dinner service Monday night due to concerns over potential ICE action. “The color of the skin of many of our staff is not the same as our mad, orange king,” said chef and owner Craig Stoll. “Out of an abundance of caution, we’ve decided to stay closed tonight. Our staff is nervous, we’re nervous. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.”
A notice on Delfina’s website said the restaurant is closed “due to the protests in the Mission this evening, out of precaution and safety for our staff and guests.” A second day of protests against ICE deportations had been planned for Monday at City Hall and the Mission’s 24th Street BART station, among other locations. On Sunday, protests escalated to a riot near the ICE field office in downtown San Francisco, leading to the arrest of 148 adults and six minors.
Fears about ICE raids at San Francisco restaurants began swirling Sunday evening, according to several owners who spoke with The Standard on the condition of anonymity.
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Though no city or state agencies have made official statements warning restaurants to be on alert, the rumors have caused widespread unease. Prominent industry figures, including Zuni Cafe and Nightbird chef Kim Alter, shared resources on social media about how to respond to ICE enforcement actions.
Amy Cleary, spokesperson for the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, said the trade group had not heard about ICE actions on restaurants as of Monday evening but acknowledged the “intense fear and anxiety” in the industry. “We have no information about specific raids,” Cleary said. “But businesses should take care to educate their staff about their rights.”
One well-regarded restaurateur said fear over the risk of a raid is real. “I know it may happen or it may not happen. We’re kind of expecting it. It’s all so surreal.”
The fears are not unfounded. On May 30, heavily armed ICE agents raided two locations of Buona Forchetta, a popular Italian restaurant in San Diego, where they handcuffed and detained several workers during dinner service.
Jacob Paronyan, general manager of Boulevard on the Embarcadero, heard rumors of ICE raids in the city and said his team was “on alert,” though no specific notice has been given to staff as of Monday evening. “It’s tough, because we don’t want to alarm anyone, and technically, we shouldn’t have anyone at risk. But, of course, we might and may not know it,” he said.
It’s difficult to estimate how many restaurant workers are undocumented immigrants who may be at risk of deportation. According to the Center for Migration Studies, of the 8.3 million undocumented immigrants who work in the U.S., approximately 1 million are employed in the restaurant industry.
The chef-owner of a popular San Francisco restaurant who is an undocumented immigrant from Mexico heard the rumors and has been fielding questions from staff about whether the restaurant will close. Instead, the owner chose a wait-and-see approach. “Personally, I feel like half of it might be true and half might not be true,” this person said. “I think closing a restaurant for a day or two is not a solution — and, with my staff, I’ve been going back and forth with my partner before we send info to them so they won’t get more scared. Information is great, but people get more fearful.”
The owner, who has been living and working in the United States for a decade, was able to open a business and pay taxes using an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, which the Internal Revenue Service provides to certain nonresident and resident immigrants who cannot get a Social Security number. “Honestly, I feel the same way I’ve been feeling for 10 years — at some point, you get used to it,” they said. “We’ve got three years and a half, so we’ve got to just keep doing what we can. I already know people who have gone back. But for me, it’s not an option.”