A Nashville restaurant owned by MAGA musician Kid Rock reportedly closed over the weekend to avoid the Trump administration’s ICE raids.
Nashville Scene reported that Kid Rock’s Big A-- Honky Tonk Rock N’ Roll Steakhouse in Tennessee shuttered after employees not authorized to work in the U.S. failed to show up Saturday, and those who did turn up were told that any undocumented workers should leave to avoid being caught by ICE.
ICE agents trawled through south Nashville on Saturday evening stopping drivers with the help of Tennessee Highway Patrol. The agency said Tuesday that it had apprehended 196 people during the operation.
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Nashville restaurants The Diner and Honky Tonk Central, which are owned by Stephen Smith, also closed during the raids—highlighting the important role undocumented workers play in the service industry.
An anonymous employee at one of the three establishments told the Nashville Scene that the restaurant was “already understaffed” on Saturday “because of the ICE raids.”
They added that the “manager came back and told anyone without legal status to go home” around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, despite it being the busiest service of the week, following major events in Nashville.
“It was crazy busy, but there was no one in the kitchen to cook the food,” they said.
ICE agents have been conducting raids and making arrests around the U.S. to fulfill President Donald Trump’s promise of mass deportations for undocumented people.
Kid Rock, 54, has been a staunch Trump supporter, even brokering a meeting between the president and Bill Maher.
Immigration and law enforcement officials have claimed they are targeting people “who pose a threat to public safety”, but less than half of those arrested in Nashville on Saturday have prior criminal convictions or pending criminal charges, according to ICE.
ICE and representatives for Kid Rock did not immediately respond to requests from the Daily Beast for comment.
