Restaurant and construction owners tell Minnesota lawmakers ICE actions have halted work and sowed fear

Two Minnesota business owners gave personal testimony to lawmakers about the local consequences they say followed ICE enforcement actions.

Jenero (JD) Delgado, a restaurant owner, said agents targeted Hispanic workers regardless of immigration status or documentation. He recounted an incident in which, he said, a worker was "severely burned when he was forcibly restrained against the fryer" during an encounter with an agent; Delgado said an agent later attributed the burn to the employee’s actions. "None of these employees have chosen to testify against ICE due to their fears of retaliation," Delgado said, and he added that fear has led some employees to stop coming to work.

Sarah Lekwitsch, a third-generation contractor from Cottage Grove, said she and other contractors paused projects because they could not guarantee worker safety. "Since December, many of them have been afraid to leave their homes," Lekwitsch said. She told lawmakers the effect on her business was severe enough that projects stopped and some contractors discussed permanent closures.

Both speakers urged state representatives to adopt measures to protect workers and businesses. Lekwitsch specifically asked Representative Johnson to show leadership on the issue this session. Their testimony focused on economic and personal harms; no binding relief or emergency funding was reported at the hearing.

What’s next: business owners and advocates said they will press legislators to consider the proposed protective bills mentioned at the session and to prioritize worker safety and legal remedies.