In an attempt to comply with the U.S. immigration law restaurants across the country are double checking their employee’s paperwork to ensure they are eligible to work in the country.
Chipotle, a Mexican food chain in Minnesota fired approximately 50 Latino employees last week who failed to comply with an I-9 audit and provide adequate documentation showing they could legally work in the United States.
The number of restaurants working in coordination with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has increased as the Obama Administration is cracking down on businesses looking to skirt the immigration rules of employees.
However, the decision to fire 50 Latino employees didn’t sit well with Minnesota Immigration Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), who is fighting the restaurants’ decision and claims that Chipotle unfairly targeted the Hispanic workers.
“We started to piece together there was something larger going on than a few people fired at one store,” said MIRAC affiliate Brad Sigal. “It appears to be a statewide attack on immigrant workers who are longtime employees most of them been working there for years.”