‘People don’t want to come out’: Rumors of ICE spark fear in Crete
CRETE, Neb. (KLKN) — Inside a Mexican restaurant in Crete on Wednesday, the plates were hot, but the crowd was thinner than normal.
Staff at Cristina’s Family Restaurant said the rumors of immigration raids, even if they’re not true, are enough to spark fear and keep people away.
“All that’s been happening, it affects us because people don’t want to come out anymore, and they’re pretty much afraid,” said the owner, Jonathan Lopez.
SEE ALSO: ICE says agents were assaulted in Omaha raid; Latino community is ‘fearful’
Social media posts warned some families to stay home; some even named locations where Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were supposedly seen.
Federal officials haven’t confirmed any enforcement actions in Crete, but the ripple effect is being felt.
“Usually people come from out of town to visit family members in Crete, so we always had like half to a full house for lunch and for dinner,” Lopez said. “And now we’ve been looking at four to five tables lately.”
And the restaurant is not alone.
Across Nebraska, stories are surfacing of Latino businesses closing because of a growing fear.
Lopez said if people are afraid, they shouldn’t go out if they don’t have to, though he offered his restaurant as a place of safety and comfort.
“Just call an Uber driver or have somebody deliver what you need to the house,” he said. “All I’m going to say is only God can help us. Just stay safe.”
SEE ALSO: ‘I think people are losing their humanity’: Dozens attend anti-ICE protest in Lincoln
Lopez said the economy is going to feel the effect of immigration raids.
He said if immigrants are taken from their jobs, people will pay more for meat, fruits and produce.
SEE ALSO: ICE serves warrant at Omaha plant; company says 107 employees were on agency’s list
