Immigrant Restaurant Workers React to Trump’s Deportation Threats | Eater

"The Denver restaurant led by chef Byron Gomez (a contestant on season 18 of Top Chef) where Gomez has been outspoken about his DACA status and the precarity it creates for hospitality workers. He asks, “Are we going to continue to play this game?” and explains the emotional toll: “I’m only allowed to plan for my life in two-year increments. I’ve been doing this for over a decade. It makes you feel like a caged bird.” Gomez highlights how immigration-related labor shortages and fear ripple through restaurants (“How do I explain to guests that it’s costing more to get lettuce because there’s no one to pick it?”) and he urges restaurants to use their community status: “Just because you’re being threatened or targeted doesn’t mean that you can’t have a voice.” His hospitality group, Id Est, has been keeping employees abreast of changing guidelines and procedures to protect them, and the restaurant is actively trying to provide a safe space and nourishment to staff amid the uncertainty." - Jaya Saxena