The Trump Administration’s immigration crackdown and accompanying U.S. Customs and Border Protection raids have impacted industries and communities across the nation throughout the past year, with a flood of recent headlines outlining how the federal initiative has impacted restaurant operators’ off-premises efforts.
In New Orleans, eateries with largely Hispanic customers temporarily closed, as cooks and dishwashers stayed home and delivery drivers sat out shifts, in response to fears of showing up to work, according to Dec. 8 reporting from The New York Times.
In North Carolina, however, operators are relying on delivery amid immigration-focused raids, according to a Nov. 21 Spectrum News article. As a result of federal agents being visibly present in communities such as Raleigh and Durham, the crackdown has spurred fear for Hispanic and Latino residents, leading some stores to drive food directly to customers who are not leaving their homes to avoid arrest and deportation.
In New Orleans, according to the NYT, early December raids had a chilling effect on restaurant operators and suppliers serving Louisiana’s largest city. Amarys Koenig Herndon, co-owner of Palm and Pine, a high-end eatery in the French Quarter, reported that several employees chose to stay home, regardless of their immigration status.
“They’re working legally, but they’re hunkered down and not coming to pick up their paychecks,” Koenig Herndon said in the NYT reporting, later adding that immigration-crackdown-related hiccups in supply chains impact Palm and Pine’s menu offerings. … “With the cuisine we do, we’re very dependent on our Latin markets for a lot of ingredients.”
In North Carolina, according to the Spectrum News article, some grocery store owners, like Tony and Victor Campos, second-generation operators of La Tapatia Supermarket in Raleigh, began offering free order drop-offs to cater to communities impacted by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection raids. Workers receive orders via WhatsApp, select items from store shelves, and then deliver goods to customers.
“Right now they would rather be home, safe with their family members than risking it to come out to buy groceries,” Victor Campos said in the Spectrum News reporting, adding that their business has delivered nearly 300 orders that week.
Other North Carolina operations, including Durham’s Super Compare Foods, introduced similar offerings to the Campos brothers, advertising free food delivery on social media, according to the Spectrum News article. Nonprofits like Triangle Mutual Aid, which coordinates food supply drivers, also implemented such measures.
“They’re our community and they built us up, so it’s the least we can do for them, is help them in times of need,” Tony Campos was quoted as saying by Spectrum News.
With the White House promising to continue its immigration crackdown, the topic is poised to persist as a relevant trend impacting restaurant operations and delivery services in the coming year.
