O’FALLON, Mo. – El Maguey on Highway K in O’Fallon, Missouri, temporarily closed on Thursday after people claimed they saw ICE arresting employees.
People drove by all morning as a Facebook post spread throughout the area.
“I grew up, like, just right down the road from here. I always come to eat maybe once or twice a week at least,” customer Autmn Emery said.
The open sign was lit once again on Friday. FOX 2 talked to employees off camera who said Immigration and Customs Enforcement showed up on Thursday and arrested three people, but all three workers were released and back at the restaurant on Friday.
We reached out to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security to confirm this information but have not heard back.
FBI St. Louis division public affairs officer Rebecca Wu said, “The FBI, along with our Department of Justice partners, is assisting DHS and other federal law enforcement partners with their immigration enforcement efforts.”
When asked for more information about El Maguey, Wu deferred to DHS, who she said was “the lead.”
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El Maguey employees say the restaurant was quiet Friday as many customers wondered if they were still open.
An owner of a different business says it has been slow for him too as customers and employees are scared to leave the house. As an immigrant himself, he did not want to disclose his name or draw attention to his business.
“I can definitely see the less spending; people are now going out, and if they don’t go out, then there is no business,” he said. “Since 35 years here, I never experienced anything like this before.”
El Maguey customers were concerned. One woman stopped by to give the employees Red Cards, a resource for immigrants to help explain their rights. Another woman, Amber Emery, says she has grown up with some of these employees.
“Let’s keep our heart on our sleeves for this population and this whole this whole group of people who don’t deserve this,” she said.
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