Chicago’s immigration sweeps have restaurant and food industry employers feeling anxious 

Business and industry leaders on Monday braced for a backlash against immigrant workers in the Chicago area, one day after federal agents, top Trump administration officials and right-wing media personality Dr. Phil McGraw arrived in the city for targeted arrests.Sam Toia, president of the Illinois Restaurant Association, said Monday that its members are “very anxious” about possible arrests of Chicago-area workers by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.But as of Monday morning, there had been no reports of restaurant employees being arrested; nor had Toia heard anything about workers failing to show up for work because of fears of an ICE raid.Nationwide, ICE announced 956 total arrests Sunday and 286 Saturday. While some of the operations may not have been unusual, ICE averaged 311 daily arrests in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30.If ICE does arrive at restaurants, Toia advised employers to make sure agents have a warrant and to comply with the law that requires I-9 forms to be turned over to the federal officials within 72 hours. I-9’s are government identity and employment authorization forms.Toia also suggested contacting the Illinois Restaurant Association so it can connect restaurant workers with pro bono lawyers at immigration advocacy groups.“We always tell our folks to make sure they have documentation before they put anyone to work. We’re here to comply with the law,” Toia said. He urged President Donald Trump to think long and hard before following through on his threat to carry out mass deportations of immigrants.Pilsen’s Carnitas Uruapan, shown in October, specializes in Mexican food from the state of Michoacan.Brittany Sowacke/For WBEZ
“We’re gonna see inflation in this country like we haven’t seen since the late ‘70s or early ‘80s. And Trump ran on bringing down inflation. This ain’t just the hospitality industry. It’s the construction industry. It’s the farm industry. It will put havoc on the economy,” Toia said.Even so, he agreed “dangerous people” should be deported. “No one wants murderers and cartels in their neighborhood, especially the immigrant communities,” he said.The American Business Immigration Coalition, an industry group based in Chicago, warned Monday of the major economic consequences of mass deportations, which could exacerbate labor shortages and inflation.Restaurant owners, farmers, home builders, manufacturers and the hospitality and health care industries rely on immigrants to sustain their workforce, said the coalition of more than 1,700 business leaders across the U.S.The coalition’s executive director, Rebecca Shi, said during an online news conference Monday that its members support secure borders but urged the U.S. government to provide legal pathways for law-abiding immigrants to contribute to the economy.Mass deportations could potentially cost $88 billion in one year and cause significant economic harm, the coalition said.During ABIC’s news conference, Mar