As part of the Trump administration's continuing crackdown on illegal migrants, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents audited a Washington, D.C., restaurant owned by the husband of CBS News star Norah O'Donnell.
According to CBS News' Nicole Sganga, Chef Geoff's was among the handful of restaurants that "were delivered 'notices of inspection' and asked to question employees about their work authorization" on Tuesday.
Chef Geoff's is owned by O'Donnell's husband, Geoff Tracy.
Sganga's reporting on X indicated that ICE did not carry out a raid at the establishment, but rather an inspection.
"These are not 'raids,'" she posted on the social media platform. "Federal agents routinely conduct inspections seeking I-9 forms from employers to verify workers are legally eligible for employment."
No one was taken into custody at the upscale eatery in Northwest D.C.
The Washingtonian reported that federal immigration authorities also paid a visit to Millie's — another well-known D.C. restaurant — on Tuesday, just as it was opening up for lunch.
ICE agents "came in all of the public entrances at the same time," Millie's owner Bo Blair told the outlet and did not push back when the general manager denied their request to question employees about their employment eligibility.
"We were under the impression that they were focusing on trying to find criminals," Blair said. "And this is just a whole new level of harassment to our hard-working, law-abiding employees."
Seven other D.C. restaurants were reportedly targeted on Tuesday, including Officina and Mi Vida, Jaleo, Santa Rosa Taqueria, Pupatella, Call Your Mother, and Clyde's.
Agents "came to the front door" at Pupatella's Dupont location, but did not enter the building, General Manager Michael Jones told Eater.
"It was very cordial, very polite," Jones said of the interaction.
According to NBC4, some of the establishments were notified of the looming I-9 inspections in advance.
Others were reportedly informed verbally that ICE agents would be back to inspect the forms in a few days.
Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, said she was upset to hear of the audits and disavowed the city's participation in them.
"It appears that ICE is at restaurants or even in neighborhoods, and it doesn't look like they're targeting criminals, and so it is disrupting," Bowser said, according to the New York Post.
"I want to be clear, this is not an [Metropolitan Police Department] action, no MPD activity involved," she added.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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