UPDATE: All Nupá workers move to South restaurant following ICE arrests, closure
(ABC 6 News) – The North Nupá Mediterranean Grill location remains closed following an ICE raid Wednesday, Feb. 12.
An update on the Rochester restaurant’s Facebook page reads as follows:
“Update: “We have chosen to consolidate our employees to South location since it provides more space. We didn’t want to stretch ourselves thin and overwork our employees, trying to keep both locations open while we navigate staffing. In turn giving a better experience to our guests. We are using this opportunity to do some maintenance and renovations at North. As always, thank you to this wonderful Rochester community and all our loyal customers!! We are honored to serve you.”
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(ABC 6 News) – Speaking with ABC 6 anonymously, an employee of a neighboring story to the Nupá Mediterranean Grill said the operation happened early Wednesday morning, around 9:00 A.M.
“We went inside to go start up our day and get our store opening,” they said. “We just seen like a, I believe it was a Toyota Tundra and a Dodge Ram, they just kind of came unmarked.”
Maria Loera, a resident of St. Charles who works in Rochester, was one of the first to post an image on Facebook of the operation another person had sent to her.
She said the reason she did so was to inform people.
“Lately, a lot of people have been scared to speak up about anything that’s going on just because others want proof,” Loera said. “But I thought that it’s better to be aware than to not know anything and it’s better to know if something’s going on.”
She also said these operations have put many in the Latino community around Rochester on high alert.
“People are like ‘I’m not going to go out, I’m not going to go shopping’ and many of the community people who are of status are saying that they’re willing to go shopping for people, drop kids off at daycare or school. So everyone’s trying to help out.”
Immigration has been a major conversation for years, but has especially ramped up in the last few weeks since the Trump Administration has taken over and begun taking action.
However, now that the conversation has moved to Rochester’s backyard, for some people the effects have become more real.
“I mean it’s surprising obviously,” said another individual speaking anonymously. They had pulled into Nupá South’s parking lot hours after the restaurants had closed for the day, unaware of what had happened.
They said they come into the city twice a month, and Nupá has always been a go-to spot for them.
“Seeing that it affects a place you love you know it’s upsetting and it’s confusing.”
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(ABC 6 News) — According to a Facebook post from Nupá, two workers who may have been working under false documentation were arrested in the parking lot.
The restaurant says the two workers were brothers.
As a result, the Civic Center Drive location will remain closed until further notice, and the South location will operate fully starting on Thursday.
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(ABC 6 News) – Police confirmed reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in Rochester Wednesday, Feb. 12.
A witness who chose to remain unnamed told ABC 6 News he saw ICE agents arrive at Nupa South on Crossroads Drive SW and detain what looked like the entire kitchen crew.
Rochester police did not assist the “operations,” according to communications coordinator Amanda Grayson.
Rochester police were not informed about any details of the operations, including arrests, according to Grayson.
The Nupá Mediterranean Grill Facebook page posted around 11 a.m. that both restaurants were closed.
ABC 6 News will update this article as more information is available.