In Catalina, Arizona, a restaurant owner who immigrated to this country from El Salvador has taken a principled stand in support of federal law enforcement officers during a time of mounting hostility toward their work.
Jorge Rivas, proprietor of Sammy’s Mexican Grill, has made it establishment policy to provide complimentary meals to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and other law enforcement personnel. This gesture comes as ICE agents report an alarming 8,000-percent increase in death threats directed at them and their families.
“They can get a free meal, not because we think that they cannot afford it. It’s just because we feel the need to say thank you. We’re thankful, we’re grateful for who you are, what you do,” Rivas explained in a recent interview. The practice, he noted, has been in place for several years as a response to what he describes as mistreatment of officers by segments of the public.
Rivas has been direct in his assessment of local businesses that have opposed ICE operations, calling such resistance “un-American.” His position has drawn criticism from some quarters, yet he reports that his restaurant has seen an influx of supportive customers whom he characterizes as “great patriots.”
The restaurateur acknowledges that many who share his views remain silent out of fear of reprisal. “Some people are afraid to say what is right. But we’re not afraid,” he stated plainly. “Everyone who works for ICE, all federal agents, can come to Sammy’s Mexican Grill. Here they will be treated with respect as they deserve.”
For Rivas, the decision transcends politics. “I’m doing it because I think it’s the right thing to do,” he said simply. His reasoning reflects a fundamental belief in the importance of law enforcement to community safety and order.
The broader context of this local story reveals the tensions surrounding immigration enforcement in communities across the nation. Federal agents tasked with executing immigration law have found themselves increasingly targeted, not merely with verbal opposition but with credible threats to their safety and that of their families.
Rivas’s background as an immigrant from El Salvador adds a particular dimension to his stance. His support for immigration enforcement officials might strike some as unexpected, yet it underscores a perspective held by many legal immigrants who believe in the importance of lawful immigration processes and border security.
The restaurant owner reports that while vocal opposition has been significant, private support has been substantial. This suggests a disconnect between public discourse and private sentiment in communities grappling with immigration policy debates.
As federal immigration enforcement continues under the current administration, the experiences of individuals like Rivas illustrate the complex dynamics at play in American communities. His willingness to publicly support law enforcement officers, despite facing personal and professional consequences, represents a conviction that certain principles warrant defense regardless of social pressure.
That is the way it is in Catalina, Arizona, where one small business owner has decided that gratitude and respect for those who enforce the nation’s laws deserve expression, even when such expression proves costly.
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