Latest news with #NashvilleScene
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kid Rock Distances Himself From His Own Bar After Reported Nashville Ice Raids
Kid Rock seems to have no problem with ICE conducting raids at his Nashville bar, Kid Rock's Big Ass Honky Tonk Rock N' Roll Steakhouse. Over the weekend, according to a story in the Nashville Scene, managers at the location sent home undocumented employees working in their kitchen during an evening rush to avoid raids. Rock is involved with the restaurant — according to a new tweet from Rock himself, largely in name only — while owner Steve Smith leads operations. Rock and Smith overlap in their support of Donald Trump and his immigration policies, despite relying on the immigrants who work in the restaurant. 'Clearly I do not have anything to do with day to day operations at my Honky Tonk – but it's good click bait, I get it,' Rock said on X, responding to a headline that referred to the restaurant as the 'next target for Trump's sweeping ICE raids.' 'That being said I 100% support getting illegal criminals out of our country no matter where they are. I also like President Trump want to speed up the process of getting GREAT immigrants into our country – LEGALLY! It's that simple folks. But the below is not a juicy enough headline to get clicks and views.. in this day and age the truth often is not.' More from Rolling Stone Republicans Are Making Their Politically 'Suicidal' Medicaid Cuts Even Worse Trump Is Giving Millions in Taxpayer Money to Family of Rioter Killed on Jan. 6 'The Republic Is Under Siege By a Moron': Everything Bruce Springsteen Has Said About Trump On Saturday, an employee at one of Smith's restaurants shared insight into how operations have changed since the increase in raids. Speaking with the Scene on condition of anonymity, they said: 'We were already understaffed because of the ICE raids throughout the weekend. Then, around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, our manager came back and told anyone without legal status to go home. Events at the Ryman, Ascend, the Savannah Bananas' baseball game all let out, and it was crazy busy. But there was no one in the kitchen to cook the food.' In January, Trump signed a series of executive orders targeting America's immigrant communities. One attempted to end birthright citizenship for children born to parents without at least one permanent-resident status, while another authorized all Department of Justice law enforcement officers to act as immigration officers. ICE raids across the country began almost immediately and have increased in intensity since. Immigrants without criminal records have been targeted, in addition to U.S. citizens being detained and deported. Newark, New Jersey, mayor Ras Baraka was recently arrested at an ICE facility on a trespassing charge, while children who are U.S. citizens have been deported along with their immigrant parents. The Trump administration has shown a continued noncompliance with court orders mandating due process for migrants. At places like Kid Rock's Nashville honky-tonk — regardless of whether its owner and namesake approve — employees seem to be looking out for the immigrants in their communities. Especially since no one else is. Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kid Rock's Nashville Restaurant Closed to Avoid Weekend ICE Raids by Trump Administration
Kid Rock's restaurant reportedly closed over the weekend to avoid ICE's raids in Nashville. Immigrant employees either did not show up for work or were told to go home, to avoid being detained by ICE. ICE arrested 196 people in the city raid — less than half of whom have prior criminal Rock's Nashville restaurant halted service amid fears that it would be raided by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Saturday, May 10. The Nashville-based musician, a longtime supporter of Donald Trump, reportedly had the doors of his namesake restaurant — Kid Rock's Big A** Honky Tonk Rock N' Roll Steakhouse — closed, per Nashville Scene. The move came after employees without U.S. work authorization did not show up for work on Saturday, and those who did show were told to go home in order to avoid ICE detention. The singer has a long history with Trump himself. Kid Rock visited Trump in the White House in 2017, golfed with Trump (while wearing American flag pants) in 2019 and recently performed at the president's Make America Great Again Victory Rally to celebrate Inauguration Day. Kid Rock's restaurant, as well as two others in Nashville that were also shut down over the weekend, are owned by Steve Smith — a conservative restaurateur and Trump supporter, the outlet reported. Officials from the immigration agency were present in Nashville on Saturday, joining forces with Tennessee Highway Patrol to intercept immigrants lacking permanent legal status, ICE revealed on May 13. The presence was part of "a weeklong targeted enforcement operation," per ICE's news release, and allegedly sought to remove immigrants "who pose a threat to public safety." According to ICE's data, less than half of the detainees had prior criminal records. A total of 196 people were arrested, the news release stated. Due to the extensive ICE presence, many employees who are immigrants opted to call out of work, so as not to be detained while traveling to or from work. 'We were already understaffed because of the ICE raids throughout the weekend,' an employee of one of the three restaurants, who asked to remain anonymous, told Nashville Scene. "Then, around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, our manager came back and told anyone without legal status to go home." The source added the restaurant grew "crazy busy, but there was no one in the kitchen to cook the food." Read the original article on People
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kid Rock's Nashville Restaurant Closed to Avoid Weekend ICE Raids by Trump Administration
Kid Rock's restaurant reportedly closed over the weekend to avoid ICE's raids in Nashville. Immigrant employees either did not show up for work or were told to go home, to avoid being detained by ICE. ICE arrested 196 people in the city raid — less than half of whom have prior criminal Rock's Nashville restaurant halted service amid fears that it would be raided by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Saturday, May 10. The Nashville-based musician, a longtime supporter of Donald Trump, reportedly had the doors of his namesake restaurant — Kid Rock's Big A** Honky Tonk Rock N' Roll Steakhouse — closed, per Nashville Scene. The move came after employees without U.S. work authorization did not show up for work on Saturday, and those who did show were told to go home in order to avoid ICE detention. The singer has a long history with Trump himself. Kid Rock visited Trump in the White House in 2017, golfed with Trump (while wearing American flag pants) in 2019 and recently performed at the president's Make America Great Again Victory Rally to celebrate Inauguration Day. Kid Rock's restaurant, as well as two others in Nashville that were also shut down over the weekend, are owned by Steve Smith — a conservative restaurateur and Trump supporter, the outlet reported. Officials from the immigration agency were present in Nashville on Saturday, joining forces with Tennessee Highway Patrol to intercept immigrants lacking permanent legal status, ICE revealed on May 13. The presence was part of "a weeklong targeted enforcement operation," per ICE's news release, and allegedly sought to remove immigrants "who pose a threat to public safety." According to ICE's data, less than half of the detainees had prior criminal records. A total of 196 people were arrested, the news release stated. Due to the extensive ICE presence, many employees who are immigrants opted to call out of work, so as not to be detained while traveling to or from work. 'We were already understaffed because of the ICE raids throughout the weekend,' an employee of one of the three restaurants, who asked to remain anonymous, told Nashville Scene. "Then, around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, our manager came back and told anyone without legal status to go home." The source added the restaurant grew "crazy busy, but there was no one in the kitchen to cook the food." Read the original article on People
Chicago Tribune
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Kid Rock's Nashville restaurant sends staff home to avoid ICE raid: report
Managers at Kid Rock's Nashville restaurant told staff to go home on a busy Saturday night to avoid an impending raid by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, according to local reports. Kid Rock's Big Ass Honky Tonk Rock N' Roll Steakhouse was one of three establishments owned by local restaurateur — and prominent Trump donor — Steve Smith that were forced to shutter their kitchens over the weekend to dodge ICE agents. According to the Nashville Scene, employees without work authorization were told to leave the premises during the busy Saturday night rush, bringing service to a halt. 'We were already understaffed because of the ICE raids throughout the weekend,' one restaurant employee told the outlet. 'Then, around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, our manager came back and told anyone without legal status to go home.' According to the employee, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution, that happened as music and sports events at nearby venues were ending. 'It was crazy busy,' the employee said. 'But there was no one in the kitchen to cook the food.' Earlier this week, the Department of Homeland Security announced that ICE and Tennessee Highway Patrol officials had arrested 196 undocumented individuals. Less than half of those taken into custody had criminal records, DHS officials said. The other two restaurants owned by the conservative restaurateur that were reportedly forced to close their kitchens and interrupt the busy weekend rush were Tootsie's Orchid Lounge and Rippy's Honky Tonk. It's not clear whether Smith was informed or consulted about the managers' decisions, employees told the Nashville Scene. The Kid Rock-licensed steakhouse, a 'gorgeous honky tonk' that can entertain up to 2,000 customers across five floors and six bars, is one of two establishments associated with the name of the high-profile MAGA musician and former 'Apprentice' contestant. Earlier this month, the 'All Summer Long' singer opened an upscale seafood restaurant in the city's downtown district called The Detroit Cowboy, which he described as 'more than a dining experience; it is a celebration of two great American cities — Detroit and Nashville.'
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kid Rock's Nashville restaurant reportedly sends staff home to avoid ICE raid
Managers at Kid Rock's Nashville restaurant told staff to go home on a busy Saturday night to avoid an impending raid by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, according to local reports. Kid Rock's Big Ass Honky Tonk Rock N' Roll Steakhouse was one of three establishments owned by local restaurateur — and prominent Trump donor — Steve Smith that were forced to shutter their kitchens over the weekend to dodge ICE agents. According to the Nashville Scene, employees without work authorization were told to leave the premises during the busy Saturday night rush, bringing service to a halt. 'We were already understaffed because of the ICE raids throughout the weekend,' one restaurant employee told the outlet. 'Then, around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, our manager came back and told anyone without legal status to go home.' According to the employee, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution, that happened as music and sports events at nearby venues were ending. 'It was crazy busy,' the employee said. 'But there was no one in the kitchen to cook the food.' Earlier this week, the Department of Homeland Security announced that ICE and Tennessee Highway Patrol officials had arrested 196 undocumented individuals. Less than half of those taken into custody had criminal records, DHS officials said. The other two restaurants owned by the conservative restaurateur that were reportedly forced to close their kitchens and interrupt the busy weekend rush were Tootsie's Orchid Lounge and Rippy's Honky Tonk. It's not clear whether Smith was informed or consulted about the managers' decisions, employees told the Nashville Scene. The Kid Rock-licensed steakhouse, a 'gorgeous honky tonk' that can entertain up to 2,000 customers across five floors and six bars, is one of two establishments associated with the name of the high-profile MAGA musician and former 'Apprentice' contestant. Earlier this month, the 'All Summer Long' singer opened an upscale seafood restaurant in the city's downtown district called The Detroit Cowboy, which he described as 'more than a dining experience; it is a celebration of two great American cities — Detroit and Nashville.'
