Bon Appétit sought a statement from Smith regarding the ramifications of ICE operations in her home state. “This unregulated and inhumane ICE initiative is dismantling the entire food supply chain in our state,” Smith articulated in her response. “I’ve received messages from farmers, restaurant proprietors, and employees, and their sentiment is unmistakable: Remove ICE from Minnesota immediately. A significant portion of our food system is dependent on immigrants who are legally present, but when ICE targets and arrests workers outside their places of employment, naturally, they become hesitant to come forward.”
“We are witnessing the destruction of businesses and individuals left without means to support themselves and their families, all due to this reckless and unjust DHS operation instilling fear in our communities,” Sen. Smith communicated to Bon Appétit.
The requests stated in the letter included withdrawing federal agents from the Twin Cities and other areas experiencing extreme enforcement measures, initiating independent inquiries into civilian fatalities, prohibiting racial profiling, and banning the use of masks that conceal agents’ identities.
Ultimately, legislators decided to strip DHS funding from the larger spending bill, favoring a temporary extension as discussions regarding immigration enforcement persist.
Before composing the letter, Sherman conveyed streams of communications among restaurant owners sharing notifications about ICE operations, organizing safe transportation home or food for at-risk workers, and sustaining their businesses in the face of growing anxiety.
However, during this year’s Sundance Film Festival in late January, Sherman recognized the limited understanding people outside the Twin Cities had concerning the breadth of the ICE-fueled crisis occurring back home, or the implications should it expand.
“If this becomes commonplace beyond Minneapolis, it will negatively impact everyone. I felt compelled to sound the alarm,” Sherman expressed.
As of last week, Congress remains embroiled in a deadlock concerning funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which supervises ICE; the open letter implored lawmakers to withhold additional funds for ICE unless a series of reforms are introduced. “The American food industry is built on safety, trust, and dignity,” the letter states. “When workers fear being targeted, racially profiled, monitored, detained, or killed by federal authorities, the whole system is compromised.”
For many within the sector, the letter conveys worries that extend well beyond Minneapolis. Immigrants represent 36 percent of restaurant ownership and over 20 percent of the workforce in the industry, as reported by the James Beard Foundation — a situation that industry leaders claim makes restaurants particularly vulnerable to surges in immigration enforcement.
Adrian Lipscombe, a chef from Texas, former restaurant proprietor, and founder of the 40 Acres Project, was among those who endorsed Sherman’s letter.
The Austin chef expressed her growing concern regarding what she perceives as a deafening quiet from her colleagues in the field. Many, she pointed out, recognize the impact of immigration enforcement on restaurants but have yet to advocate for those most vulnerable to its repercussions.
“It falls on those who possess privilege in this world and in the hospitality sector to be vocal and advocate,” Lipscombe stated. “It shouldn’t solely be the individuals who are directly impacted.”
