ICE Raids Restaurant Owned by CBS News Anchor's Husband
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
A popular restaurant owned by CBS News anchor Norah O'Donnell's husband was one of several businesses targeted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Tuesday.
Agents targeted Chef Geoff's, founded by Geoff Tracy, in Northwest Washington D.C., along with multiple other businesses, seeking out I-9 employment authorization documents.
Newsweek reached out to ICE via email and Chef Geoff's via contact form for comment Wednesday morning.
Why It Matters
The District of Columbia is considered a sanctuary city, meaning the heart of a federal government now focused on tougher immigration policy sits within an area where local law enforcement generally does not work with ICE agents.
Geoff Tracy and Norah O'Donnell attend the 2024 Kennedy Center Honors at The Kennedy Center on December 08, 2024 in Washington, DC. Right: A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.
Geoff Tracy and Norah O'Donnell attend the 2024 Kennedy Center Honors at The Kennedy Center on December 08, 2024 in Washington, DC. Right: A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic/AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File
What To Know
Reports of planned ICE enforcement action caused concern among Washington, D.C.'s immigrant community Monday, with agents arriving at various businesses across the city Tuesday morning, including Chef Geoff's.
Fox 5 reported that U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials were at the restaurant on New Mexico Avenue at around 10:30 a.m., asking to see I-9 employee forms.
While other restaurants were targeted in the sweep, the links to O'Donnell and CBS News were not lost on social media, with some Trump supporters saying this is what they had voted for. Critics of the president suggested the raid was politically motivated given its connection to CBS News, with whom the president is currently embroiled in a lawsuit, and because no one was taken into custody. The White House has not commented.
I-9 forms are usually issued by employers during the hiring process, to ensure that an individual is legally allowed to work in the U.S. Some managers had to explain that records were not kept on site. Other businesses then reportedly moved to keep their doors closed for the rest of the day.
President Trump has been vocal in his displeasure at how D.C. is currently run, issuing an executive order aimed at the "beautification" of the capital. Immigration advocacy group CASA told ABC News it believed ICE was using this order to back its operation Tuesday.
When the president returned to the White House, the restaurant industry was among those fearful of tougher immigration policies, as a large share of its workers are migrants, and an unknown number do not have legal status.
Some business leaders have said they support stronger border security and vetting measures, while also calling on the administration to create easier legal pathways for workers.
What People Are Saying
The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, in a statement to Newsweek: "Immigrants make up a significant portion of our workforce at all levels. From dishwashers to executive chefs to restaurant owners, immigrants are irreplaceable contributors to our most celebrated restaurants and beloved neighborhood establishments. The immigrant workforce has been essential to sustaining and growing our local restaurant industry and has been a major contributor to our local economy.
"The metropolitan Washington area's restaurant industry employs over 60,000 people and generates billions in annual revenue. At a time when our economy is already fragile, losing even one staff member at a single establishment has a profound impact on the operations of a restaurant and its ability to serve patrons. Disrupting restaurant staffing across the industry can create a damaging ripple effect felt immediately throughout the entire local economy."
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, speaking to reporters Tuesday morning: "I have heard those reports, I've been getting them all morning. I am disturbed by them. It appears that ICE is at restaurants or even in neighborhoods, and it doesn't look like they're targeting criminals. It is disrupting. This is not an [Metropolitan Police Department] action, there is no MPD activity involved."
Amy Fischer, of Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid, in a statement to ABC: "If ICE wants to snatch up every single immigrant working in food service and delivery, then the entire industry will collapse."
President Trump's executive order on D.C.: "It is the policy of the United States to make the District of Columbia safe, beautiful, and prosperous by preventing crime, punishing criminals, preserving order, protecting our revered American monuments, and promoting beautification and the preservation of our history and heritage."
What's Next
ICE is yet to announce the results of its operation, with further operations across the U.S. expected to continue as the Trump administration looks to deliver on its promise of mass deportations.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Pulse shooting survivors, family members tour building before demolition
Survivors and family members of the victims of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting are touring the inside of the building for a final look before it's torn down. About 250 people accepted the city of Orlando's invitation to tour the building where Omar Mateen, who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, killed 49 people and wounded 53 others during a Latin Night celebration at the popular LGBTQIA+ club on June 12, 2016. Mateen was killed following an hourslong standoff with police. At the time, it was the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history. The shooting at the Route 91 Harvest music festival in Las Vegas would eclipse the Pulse shooting's death toll the following year. The visits, which coincide with the shooting's nine-year mark, are being done in small groups over the course of four days, with survivors and family members spending about a half hour inside, according to The Associated Press. Christine Leionen lost her only child, 32-year-old Christopher, in the shooting. Wednesday marked the first time she saw where her son was killed. "My son died on that dance floor. He was shot nine times, and he bled to death on that dance floor," she told CBS News. She said going to Pulse was "a way to try to experience his last seconds of life. I just want to feel closer to him." Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, who also visited the site, said the visit "took me back nine years." "Reflecting on being in the command center on Orange Avenue as all the things are transpiring and, eventually, the shooting of the killer and then the realization of just how many people were impacted," he said, according to CBS affiliate WKMG-TV. Dyer said the people visiting included 25 of the 49 victims' families. The city of Orlando is planning to build a permanent memorial where the building currently stands. City officials approved a plan to buy the property for $2 million back in 2023, following several previous failed attempts to buy the land. Family members and some survivors had been pushing for a permanent memorial for years before the purchase. But some of the families and survivors still have questions about whether more could have been done to prevent the shooting or if police could have done more to save people. Questions also surround the ensuing investigation and the issue of whether the attack was a hate crime. "I lived that night, but it's a constant sacrifice to keep moving every day," survivor Maritza Gomez told WKMG back when the city approved the plan to buy the property. "I don't think that Pulse should be diminished. I think that an investigation should be taken care of first." An accused woman skips her pedicure, kills her ex-husband Watch California Gov. Gavin Newsom's full speech on federal response to Los Angeles protests LAPD chief speaks out about deployment of military forces to anti-ICE protests
Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
Amid protests, questions loom about how active ICE will be at Club World Cup games
The Department of Homeland Security said border patrol agents will provide security for Saturday's FIFA Club World Cup opener between Inter Miami and Egyptian club Al Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. 'Let the games begin,' U.S. Customs and Border Protection wrote in a social media post Tuesday. 'The first FIFA Club World Cup games start on June 14 in Miami, FL at the Hard Rock Stadium. CBP will be suited and booted ready to provide security for the first round of games.' The post has since been deleted. But it included a reference to 'the first round of games,' suggesting immigration agents were not limiting their presence to the opening match. The month-long 32-team tournament includes six first-round games at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, beginning with Sunday's match between Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain and Spain's Atlético Madrid. CPB agents, who operate under the umbrella of the Department of Homeland Security, do not primarily provide security at stadiums the same way local police or private security firms do, but they are often involved in security operations in the lead-up to major events, monitoring airspace or assisting with rapid response to emergencies. ICE officers, which also operate under the DHS umbrella, are primarily tasked with identifying and arresting individuals who violate U.S. immigration law. So the possibility that federal immigration officials will be on site at a major international soccer match less than a year before the World Cup returns to the U.S. figures to inflame an already tense situation. FIFA said it is collaborating with the Rose Bowl on security issues and the presence of CPB and ICE agents, while not anticipated, could not be ruled out. 'FIFA is working in collaboration with the stadium authorities and relevant government government agencies — be it local, federal and state — to implement a detailed safety and security plan for the stadiums involved in the Club World Cup,' said a FIFA source familiar with the situation who was not authorized to discuss it publicly. Three other international matches will also be played in Southern California during the next five days in Inglewood and Carson, but officials at both those stadiums said federal agents will not be present. The CONCACAF Gold Cup will also kick off Saturday with Mexico playing the Dominican Republic at SoFi Stadium, but officials there said they have not changed their normal security procedures. A Gold Cup doubleheader involving Panama, Guadeloupe, Jamaica and Guatemala will follow at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson on June 16 and a stadium spokesperson said they will also be using their regular protocols, in addition to providing a public protest area on the stadium grounds. The civil unrest in Southern California was sparked by masked ICE officers executing immigration raids across the region. The ensuing protests led the Trump administration to send thousands of national guard troops and hundreds of U.S. Marines into city streets over the objections of L.A. mayor Karen Bass, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and other local elected officials. No one at SoFi Stadium would speak on the record about security preparations for Saturday's CONCACAF Gold Cup opener featuring Mexico, which is expected to draw a crowd of more than 50,000. But one official with knowledge of the situation said the stadium is following 'normal procedures' and 'ICE is not part of those protocols.' SoFi Stadium's security and crowd management duties have traditionally been handled by local law enforcement authorities and Contemporary Services Corporation, a private security company whose yellow- and blue-clad workers have become ubiquitous at sports and entertainments across the country. The Mexican team was originally slated to stay in a downtown hotel ahead of the match in Inglewood, but it moved to Long Beach because of security concerns. Asked about the presence of ICE agents at Saturday's Club World Cup match at Hard Rock Stadium, where last year's Copa América final was delayed more than an hour by fans rushing the entrances, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said he did not see a problem with it despite the fact it figures to depress attendance for a game that was already struggling to sell tickets. 'We are very attentive on any security question,' Infantino said. 'Of course, the most important [thing] for us is to guarantee security for all the fans who come to the games. This is our priority. This is the priority of all the authorities who are here. 'And we want everyone who comes to the games to pass a good moment.'
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
‘The View' co-host warns cast mates not to demonize ICE and military personnel over LA riots
'The View' co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin warned her co-hosts on Wednesday against 'demonizing' Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in their discussion about the LA riots. 'I think Trump is not doing this just for optics,' co-host Sunny Hostin said. 'I think that this is a test case so that he can dismantle some of our institutions. I think it's a power grab. I think he is trying to use the might of the military to suppress people's rights. I think that is very clear. When you use the military against your own citizens, that is a sign of fascism. That is just the truth.' The co-hosts continued to criticize the president for his decision to send in troops to aid law enforcement. Griffin then urged the co-hosts to be careful not to 'take the bait,' as Hostin insisted that she didn't think it was bait. 'I haven't made my point yet,' Griffin said. 'The ICE agents, those are nonpartisan actors, for the most part, who signed up for jobs and served under multiple administrations. They did not necessarily sign up to be doing this, and they're following an order of the commander-in-chief.' 3 Farah Griffin warned the other hosts on 'The View' against 'demonizing' ICE amid the LA riots. ABC Co-host Whoopi Goldberg and Hostin said they weren't demonizing them. 'We're saying this is the result of ICE, ICE's actions,' Hostin insisted. The liberal co-host blamed ICE for the crisis in LA on Tuesday. Griffin added, 'I think it's important to remember it's the commander-in-chief that made the decision. They're following the orders.' Goldberg then made a seeming comparison to Germany in the 1930s, saying, 'Where have you heard that before? 'I'm just following orders from the commander-in-chief.'' 3 Demonstrators gather in front of California National Guard troops, as protests against immigration sweeps continue, in Los Angeles, California, U.S. June 9, 2025. REUTERS 3 Serious disorder takes place in downtown Los Angeles and hundreds of law enforcement are deployed as are National Guard. Toby Canham for NY Post Goldberg agreed with co-host Sara Haines, who said she didn't blame the National Guard or the Marines, but said they needed to be careful. 'I think it's important we remember statistically the National Guard, the Marines and even these ICE agents… half of them probably have your political views. Half of them are probably pretty uncomfortable with these orders. They have families at home. They have bills to pay, and they're questioning should I walk away from this,' Griffin pushed back. Goldberg agreed and then went on to say construction companies and more would have a harder time getting people to work without immigrants. Hostin insisted on Monday that being undocumented was not illegal during a conversation about the riots in LA.
