Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raided a Washington, DC restaurant owned by CBS News star Norah O’Donnell’s husband as part of a crackdown on illegal migrants.
Chef Geoff’s, a small chain owned by O’Donnell’s spouse Geoff Tracy, was among the handful of eateries targeted by the feds on Tuesday, FOX5 reported.
Nearly a dozen ICE and law enforcement agents went to one of the locations at about 10:30 a.m. and spent roughly 90 minutes asking to see workers’ I-9 forms — the employment verification record used to ensure employees are legally allowed to work in the US.
No one was taken into custody at the Northwest DC location.
Meanwhile, about nine immigration officials raided another well-known establishment — Millie’s — just as it was opening for lunch.
Millie’s owner, Bo Blair, told The Washingtonian that agents didn’t push back when he denied their requests to speak to his employees.
“They all came in all of the public entrances at the same time,” Blair said.
At least seven other DC eateries were also targeted throughout the day — including Officina and Mi Vida, Jaleo, Santa Rosa Taqueria, Pupatella, Call Your Mother and Clyde’s.
Michael Jones, general manager of Pupatella’s Dupont location, told Eater that agents “came to the front door” but never entered the building.
“It was very cordial, very polite,” he said.
Some of the restaurants were given advance notice of the looming I-9 inspections, NBC4 reported.
Others, however, said they were only given verbal warnings that ICE agents would return to inspect forms in a few days.
DC’s Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser, meanwhile, said she was upset to learn of the raids.
“It appears that ICE is at restaurants or even in neighborhoods, and it doesn’t look like they’re targeting criminals, and so it is disrupting,” Bowser said.
“I want to be clear, this is not an [Metropolitan Police Department] action, no MPD activity involved.”
The raids come amid the Trump administration’s push to crackdown on booting violent illegal migrants from the country.
Pushing forward with its mass deportation agenda, Trump’s Department of Homeland Security said Monday that it would pay $1,000 to illegal immigrants who return to their home country voluntarily.
“If you are here illegally, self-deportation is the best, safest and most cost-effective way to leave the United States to avoid arrest,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said.
“DHS is now offering illegal aliens financial travel assistance and a stipend to return to their home country through the CBP Home App.”
With Post wires
