Overview

• Three high-profile Nashville restaurants, including Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk, have faced ongoing kitchen closures due to staff shortages linked to ICE raids.
• Managers reportedly instructed undocumented workers to leave mid-shift on May 3, leading to service disruptions during a busy weekend in the city’s entertainment district.
• The ICE operation, which began May 3, has resulted in nearly 200 arrests, with over half of those detained having no criminal record, according to DHS.
• Steve Smith, a prominent Trump supporter and owner of the affected restaurants, has faced criticism as his businesses rely on the immigrant labor targeted by the raids.
• Nashville officials have condemned the enforcement actions but acknowledge they lack legal authority to intervene in federal and state immigration operations.