Pro-Trump Nashville Restauranteur Forced to Shutter Kitchens in Fear of ICE Raids
Steve Smith, a prominent Trump donor and conservative Nashville bar owner, was forced to close kitchens at three of his high-volume Broadway properties over the weekend, as management told workers afraid of being arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to go home.
According to one employee, staff were told to go home mid-shift Saturday night after ICE activity surged in the area. The decision impacted staff at The Diner, Honky Tonk Central, and Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk.
“We were already understaffed because of the ICE raids throughout the weekend,” one worker told the Nashville 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.”
Sources say staffing shortages persisted through Sunday as employees stayed home, afraid of arrest.
Smith, who has vocally opposed public health mandates and backed right-wing candidates, now finds his businesses stalled by the very immigration crackdown his politics support.
The ICE sweeps, which began May 3, has resulted in nearly 200 arrests, with more than half having no criminal record. The crackdown has drawn backlash from local officials and immigrant advocates, while the city’s top lawyer says Nashville is “powerless” to intervene.
Steve Smith, a prominent Trump donor and conservative Nashville bar owner, was forced to close kitchens at three of his high-volume Broadway properties over the weekend, as management told workers afraid of being arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to go home.
According to one employee, staff were told to go home mid-shift Saturday night after ICE activity surged in the area. The decision impacted staff at The Diner, Honky Tonk Central, and Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk.
“We were already understaffed because of the ICE raids throughout the weekend,” one worker told the Nashville 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.”
Sources say staffing shortages persisted through Sunday as employees stayed home, afraid of arrest.
Smith, who has vocally opposed public health mandates and backed right-wing candidates, now finds his businesses stalled by the very immigration crackdown his politics support.
The ICE sweeps, which began May 3, has resulted in nearly 200 arrests, with more than half having no criminal record. The crackdown has drawn backlash from local officials and immigrant advocates, while the city’s top lawyer says Nashville is “powerless” to intervene.
BabyBoobs 
