Texas Department of Public Safety
File/Austin American-Statesman
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested and detained two workers before their shifts at Cisco’s Resturant Bakery and Bar in Austin early Monday morning at the request of Texas Department of Public Safety officials, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security confirmed.
DPS officials encountered the two individuals, Ramon Avilez-Frias and Maria Del Pilar Moreno-Loredo, during a traffic stop in Austin, the spokesperson said. The officials called ICE for assistance, and both individuals were taken into custody because they lacked lawful immigration status, the spokesperson said.
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They were offered voluntary departure the same day, and will be in ICE custody until they are removed from the country, the spokesperson said. The spokesperson did not say the reason for the traffic stop.
Cisco’s, a Tex-Mex restaurant, said in a statement posted on Instagram on Monday that the two long-standing employees were parked for work outside the Austin eatery at 6 a.m. Monday when ICE agents detained and arrested them. The restaurant owners did not identify the employees in the statement and declined to comment further, citing respect for their families.
Cisco’s said it is devastated by the news.
“These are not only employees, but fathers, husbands and wives,” the statement said. “Politics aside, we’re all human. Please be considerate, kind, and have empathy during these uncertain times.”
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The American-Statesman reached out to ICE and DPS for additional comment Monday but had not received a response by Tuesday afternoon.
ICE arrests increasing in Austin, politicians say
U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, D-Austin, and Austin City Council Member José “Chito” Vela recently told The Austin Chronicle that there has been a “sustained increase” of ICE arrests in the city since mid-August, particularly in North Austin.
The arrests have also been more visible. The arrests at Cisco’s came a month after DPS arrested and detained four workers outside Austin City Hall during a traffic stop, in coordination with ICE, and just days after N+ Univision reported that 20 immigrants were detained by ICE at a gas station about 20 miles south of Austin.
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DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said agents arrested nearly 51,000 immigrants nationwide in August, the third consecutive month in which arrests reached a record high. The Hill also reported that some Republican members of the U.S. House have expressed concern about the deportation of immigrants without criminal records.
The spokesperson said people without legal status can self-deport for $3,000 and a free flight, but “if not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return.”
Cisco’s, one of Austin’s most famous and long-standing Tex-Mex restaurants, opened in 1950. After moving to its current location at 1511 E. Sixth Street, it quickly became a popular spot for Texas politicians and residents of East Austin. The city designated it an official historic landmark in 2019.
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The restaurant had modified hours Monday because of the arrests. In its statement, the restaurant’s owners said they were heavy-hearted about the news and urged the community to show the team empathy and patience during this time.
An online fundraiser for Avilez-Frias and Moreno-Loredo had raised $1,885 of it’s $9,000 goal as of Tuesday afternoon.
Dining and Cooking