By Ava Austin

As of late June, nearly a quarter of U.S. adults worry that they or someone close to them could face deportation, a 4% increase since March, according to a Pew Research Center.

This comes after a surge of deportations and arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the behest of the Trump administration.

From the recent large-scale Hyundai raid near Savannah, Georgia, to the aggressive enforcement tactics permitted in Los Angeles by the Supreme Court, the future of migrant workers in the United States is ever-changing. San Francisco business owners, who employ people of all legal statuses, sit in a precarious position.

While there have not yet been any business raids in San Francisco, as there have in Southern California, there have been an increasing number of ICE detainments inside the San Francisco Immigration Court and the ICE Field Office. At the Immigration Court on Sept. 12, a Department of Homeland Security attorney motioned to dismiss the asylum cases of eight Colombian immigrants as ICE waited outside the courtroom to detain them. This marks an escalation in ICE presence within the court and could signal the expansion of ICE efforts in San Francisco.

Approximately 43,000 San Franciscans, or 5% of the population, are undocumented, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Given the presence of migrant workers in the westside neighborhoods, some businesses in the community have begun thinking of how to protect their employees.

Many business owners across the west side would not get involved in this story. Even the mention of ICE turned friendly exchanges suddenly cold. Three restaurant owners, who represent a spectrum of perspectives, spoke on the issue.

Will Eagle is the owner of Breck’s, a wine bar and coffee shop on the corner of Clement Street and Arguello Boulevard. He said he “hadn’t considered” the possibility that ICE might come to his business until the interview.

“I don’t have any non-citizens,” he said reflecting on whether he has a plan for his workers if ICE came. Notably, in Southern California, multiple U.S. citizens have been detained by ICE while on their way to their jobs since August.

Eagle said the community of Inner Richmond business owners is tight knit, and he has not noticed any anxiety about immigration enforcement among owners in response to the raids.

In the Sunset, Teresa Tseng, the co-owner of Noori Pakistani & Indian Cuisine on Irving Street and 21st Avenue, said her community does not discuss the topic, either. However, her personal outlook on the issue is pessimistic.

“I’ve talked to my (business) partner about that,” she said. “He said, ‘What can we do? If they really want to do whatever they want, I’ll give them the store.’” Tseng said she had not considered ICE coming to her restaurant as of the interview, but admitted it was a possibility, since ICE had arrested “Asians in LA.” On how she would react if ICE came to her restaurant, she said, “First, I probably would scream and then yell out to the neighbors to let everybody know this thing is happening. And get your phone out, record the whole thing. The truth needs to be exposed.” Overall, she articulated a distrust in ICE and President Donald Trump.

For an Inner Sunset restaurant manager and owner who spoke anonymously, this issue is more personal. She arrived late to the interview because she drove out of her way to Oakland to pick up her employees, for fear that they might be apprehended on BART. When asked if she had a plan for ICE presence, she said, “Yes, of course!” Without too much detail, she described an “escape area” for her employees to run through while she would stay behind to deal with agents.

“They’re my family,” she said. “We talk about it, so they don’t have to be scared.” She claims that concerns about ICE have deterred regular customers from patronizing her restaurant, and that stories of raids – like the June 10th Omaha Glenn Valley Foods raid – weigh heavily on the community.

Only this business owner knew that a warrant was required for ICE raids, but did not specify what type of warrant. None of the interviewees were aware of their specific rights. Many businesses on the west side do not have proper signage which might prevent ICE from entering “nonpublic zones” of their workplace, such as an office or kitchen. An “employees only” or “restricted area” sign above a door is enough, legally, to prevent agents from entering without a valid and signed judicial warrant, as long as staff do not give consent for them to enter.

Stonestown Galleria would not provide a statement for this story. Employees at various stores in the mall, who spoke anonymously, claimed that no plan had been communicated with them. One retail worker said that “there should be protocol,” and that if it existed, she was not told. A Spanish-speaking janitor said that he did not know of any plan in case of ICE presence. A business manager confirmed that the mall had not communicated to him any information. One source from a retail business within the mall was trained in preparation for a raid, but the directive came from corporate managers, not the mall itself.

Tseng spoke on behalf of the community and questioned, “I think even ICE themselves, do they really understand what they are doing? Do they really understand what kind of law they stand for? Put it this way: Who is not an immigrant in the United States?”

For more information on legal rights as a resident, visit aclu.org/know-your-rights/immigrant-rights. On rights as a business owner, visit nilc.org/resources/a-guide-for-employers-what-to-do-if-immigration-comes-to-your-workplace/.