7-Eleven Accused of Using ICE Raids to Punish Troublesome Franchisees | Eater
"A nationwide convenience-store chain whose franchise network and corporate offices have been mired in a bitter dispute after immigration raids in January targeted 98 stores in 17 states — resulting in 21 suspected undocumented-worker arrests and orders for owners to produce three years of employee records within 72 hours. Many franchisees, who are themselves immigrants, say the company’s tougher demands under CEO Joe DePinto — including higher fees, stricter inventory and display rules (down to stocking thousands of items and orienting Red Bull cans logo-forward) — have produced a contentious relationship, and some believe corporate officials have used information-sharing with authorities and new immigration-compliance rules as a pretext to oust dissenting owners. Officials say the company has provided franchisee names to investigators, and potential immigration violations can count as breaches of franchise agreements that, after repeated violations, allow the company to take over a store. Franchisees also report aggressive corporate enforcement tactics — hired investigators following owners, hidden cameras and bugs, and a surveillance van disguised as a plumber’s truck — while the company maintains it only shares information when it suspects criminal activity, says it did not know about the January raids in advance, and has since rolled out tighter compliance contracts, outsourced payroll, and invited DHS officials to address store owners, leaving many immigrant franchisees uneasy and feeling targeted." - Monica Burton
