FRISCO, Colo. — Denver7 is pushing US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for answers one day after it conducted an operation at a Mexican restaurant in Frisco.
Sources confirmed to Denver7 Investigates that Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a criminal warrant on Tuesday at Hacienda Real, a Mexican restaurant in Frisco.
Deputies responded to Straight Creek Drive to address community safety and traffic, but are "not providing support or assistance for this operation, nor has ICE requested any," according to a statement by the sheriff's office.
"As far as we know, this is a targeted criminal investigation, not civil immigration enforcement," said Summit County Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons.
The sheriff's office insisted its agency was only made aware of the operation as it began through a call to dispatch, per the sheriff.
Denver7 Investigates
ICE, Homeland Security operation unfolds at Mexican restaurant in Summit County
Hacienda Real Mexican Cuisine took to its Facebook page Tuesday evening, saying, "An anonymous call was made reporting that we had undocumented workers in our restaurant."
The restaurant continued, "For several months, we have been cooperating with the authorities and providing all documents requested by ICE. Unfortunately, this process led to a broader inspection of the restaurant."
Denver7 reached out to ICE multiple times on Wednesday for details on the operation and whether any arrests were made, but didn't hear back as of the publication of this article.
Alex Sanchez, president and CEO of Voces Unidas, spoke with Denver7 via phone on Wednesday, saying the organization began receiving calls into its immigration hotline shortly after federal agents showed up in Frisco.
"We started to receive calls yesterday out of Summit County right about 11:15 in the morning," Sanchez told Denver7. "Agents were being observed at being on the mall in Frisco, in between Walmart and Safeway, and specifically in and around a Mexican restaurant. We started to get calls from multiple sources."
"We started to receive videos, photos, as well as first-hand witness reports about what they were seeing and also not seeing," Sanchez added. "Our team took all of those reports, and we started to investigate."
Savanna Goodman is one of many Frisco residents who stopped by Hacienda Real Mexican Cuisine on Wednesday, taking the time to read the sign posted on the door.
"I was working a wedding, and they had booked Hacienda as their caterer, and the ICE raid happened, and there was no food for 75 people, and they had to pull strings," she told Denver7. "Things are affecting people. This is real, guys, it's real."
Goodman told Denver7 she works in the restaurant business in Summit County and heard several restaurants in Frisco and nearby Breckenridge chose to close amid the operation at Hacienda Real Mexican Cuisine.
"Many businesses made decisions to shorten the day," Sanchez said. "Many workers were questioning whether they should be leaving the area, whether they should be returning home."
Denver7 Marianne McKiernan reached out to Denver7, saying she was in Summit County and witnessed the closure of several restaurants.
Denver7 also reached out to the Colorado Restaurant Association regarding Tuesday's operation at the Frisco restaurant. A spokesperson provided the following statement:
“We were sorry to hear that there was ICE activity in Summit County yesterday and are focusing our efforts on making sure that our members know how to prepare for a potential ICE visit, including how to prepare their teams. The last thing restaurants need right now is scared employees who are afraid to come to work because of the threat of ICE raids and potential detainment, even for those who are legally working and living here. Can you imagine being separated from your family, community, and source of income when you’ve done nothing wrong? Operating a restaurant is challenging enough right now without low staff turnout due to the threat of ICE activity.” –Nick Hoover, Colorado Restaurant Association Government Affairs Director
