ICE Arrests Force MN Restaurant To Close Location Indefinitely

ROCHESTER, MN — A Rochester restaurant chain is shutting down one of its locations indefinitely after two of its employees were arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last week.

Nupa, a Mediterranean eatery with multiple locations in the city, said the two workers were brothers who "may have been working under false documentation."

"From our understanding, ICE never asked for any documentation and arrested them in the parking lot. We are waiting to hear more," Nupa said in a statement on Facebook.

The arrests have left Nupa struggling to maintain operations. As a result, the restaurant is closing its Civic Center Drive location until further notice.

"These two individuals accounted for many of our man hours," the restaurant chain said. "So we decided to close the South location and keep the North Store operating to fulfill caterings. Starting tomorrow, Feb. 13, the Civic Center Drive location will remain closed until further notice and the South location will operate fully as we navigate staffing issues. Which may be difficult since we haven’t any new applicants in 4 years."

Nupa followed up their statement by advising customers to "We ask at this time to refrain from negative comments, throwing shade, snarky remarks, anything that’s not helpful or hopeful."

It is unclear what charges the two men face or whether they will be deported.

Nupa’s statement also underscores ongoing labor shortages in the restaurant industry, particularly among small businesses struggling to find and retain workers.