Leopard reports faces "delicious".

At the instruction of managers, restaurant employees without legal citizenship status left the premises at The Diner, Honky Tonk Central and Kid Rock's Big Asshole Honky Tonk Rock N' Roll Steakhouse during a primetime rush on Saturday night to avoid detention by ICE agents. Locations, already struggling to provide full service, suffered through at least Sunday due to fears from employees who did not want to risk arrest by returning to work.

"We were already understaffed because of the ICE raids throughout the weekend," an employee, who asked to remain anonymous to avoid retaliation, tells the Scene. "Then, around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, our manager came back and told anyone without legal status to go home. Events at the Ryman, Ascend, the Savannah Bananas' baseball game all let out, and it was crazy busy. But there was no one in the kitchen to cook the food."

In recent days, many restaurant employees have chosen to call out and stay home with family rather than risk detention in transit. This has prompted managers throughout the city to coordinate transportation for immigrant employees, including at Smith's downtown locations.

State troopers and unmarked ICE vehicles dramatically increased nightly traffic stops on May 3 in South Nashville, where the joint operation has resulted in at least 196 arrests by ICE agents. These arrests included 101 individuals with no criminal history, contradicting Trump administration claims that immigration enforcement has been targeted toward violent criminals.

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