Immigration agents make arrests at restaurants

CLEVELAND — Special agents with U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 58 restaurant employees on immigration violations after executing federal search warrants at eight Casa Fiesta restaurants throughout northern Ohio, including Youngstown.

The raids were announced Wednesday evening in an ICE news release. Casa Fiesta is a chain of Mexican restaurants located in Ashland, Fremont, Norwalk, Oberlin, Oregon, Sandusky, Vermillion, and Youngstown. This worksite enforcement operation was the culmination of more than a yearlong investigation.

The Casa Fiesta in Youngstown is at 914 E. Midlothian Boulevard on the South Side. It wasn’t immediately clear how many employees were arrested at the business.

“ICE criminal worksite enforcement investigations unfold in multiple stages,” said Brian M. Moskowitz, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Detroit. “Executing criminal search warrants and administratively arresting unauthorized workers is just one step in the investigative process.” Moskowitz oversees Ohio and Michigan.

The four women and 54 men arrested Wednesday are all citizens of Mexico. Everyone detained is being medically screened and interviewed by ICE agents to determine if they have medical, sole-caregiver, or other humanitarian issues. Three of the women were released on their own recognizance on humanitarian grounds. They are still required to appear before a federal immigration judge who will ultimately determine whether they have a legal right to remain in the United States.

ICE has established a local telephone number for family members to find out more information about the detention status of those arrested today. Family members may call: (216) 535-0510. ICE has also notified local community groups and the Mexico consular office about the operation.

Read more in Friday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com