A New York City restaurant has been banned from operating after the owners say they were threatened with deportation if they refused to serve customers who don’t carry a valid ID card.
The restaurant, the only one in New York with a license, opened in October but was shut down when the owners claimed that federal immigration authorities wouldn’t issue them a permit, which they say is necessary to serve all guests.
The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports that restaurant owners Miguel Villalobos and Javier Paez say they are being detained by federal agents in San Antonio, Texas.
They say they haven’t been able to get a hold of federal authorities.
The Times-picayune says that Villalagos, who works for a real estate firm, told the newspaper he has received threats in Mexico and that he was “in danger.”
The owners also said that a security guard who was on duty at the restaurant, who is also Latino, was ordered by agents to stop speaking with them.
The paper reports that the restaurant has closed.