Restaurants, stores and businesses across the United States shut their doors on Feb. 3 as part of the nationwide “Day Without Immigrants” protest in response to President Donald Trump’s new immigration policies.
The demonstration, reminiscent of a similar protest that took place when Trump took office in 2017 wherein over 100 local restaurants closed, highlighted immigrants’ contributions to the workforce and their challenges under the administration’s policies.
Within hours of his second inauguration on Jan. 20, Trump issued executive orders restricting asylum seekers, declared a national emergency at the southern border and ended the CBP One Program, which helped migrants schedule immigration appointments. His second administration also attempted to revoke birthright citizenship for children of undocumented and temporary immigrants, a move that the federal courts have blocked.
Restaurants in D.C. took a firm stand, with several closing in solidarity with their immigrant employees. At Pizzeria Paradiso in Spring Valley, Assistant General Manager Samuel Morris emphasized the importance of immigrants to the restaurant industry.
“The owner started as a dishwasher before working their way up,” Morris said. “Immigrants are the backbone of this industry — kitchen staff, delivery workers, restaurant employees. We’d struggle without them.”
Over in NoMa, Republic Cantina also shut down for the day. Manager Arielle Melcher described how many of her colleagues and family members are immigrants and how the policies have created fear in the community.
“We want to ensure our employees feel safe,” Melcher said. “During previous [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] raids, some were afraid to take public transit. Closing today isn’t just symbolic — it’s about standing with them.”
While some businesses openly supported the protest, others hesitated. Melcher noted that small, independent restaurants often fear backlash for taking a political stance.
“People want to be apolitical, not because they don’t care, but because of the risk,” she said. “We don’t want protests outside our business disrupting service or threatening our ability to employ people.”
D.C., known for its diverse culinary scene, seemingly runs on immigrant labor and influence. Tex-Mex, Chinese, Ethiopian and other immigrant-founded restaurants like Pizzeria Paradiso and Republic Cantina fuel the city’s multicultural scene.
As businesses reopened the next day, the message remained clear to Morris — immigrants are integral to American life. Advocates hope the protest pushes the need for comprehensive immigration reform.
“America was founded by immigrants,” Morris said. “Ignoring or overlooking certain groups is unacceptable. We need to recognize their value — today and every day.”
This article was edited by Abigail Hatting, Maya Cederlund, Tyler Davis, and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks, Olivia Citarella, Sabine Kanter-Huchting, Ella Rousseau and Hannah Langenfeld.
