Hispanic community reacts to ICE raids

OWENSBORO, KY (WFIE) - ICE officials raided four different Mexican restaurants in Owensboro Wednesday night.

A spokesperson from the agency told us 13 people were arrested.

The family members brave enough to talk with us are devastated. Many don't even know where their loved ones are.

They are calling jails across the state looking for their friends and family.

Employees of Real Hacienda and Papa Grande say this raid was totally unexpected and many haven't seen anything like it.

They say many others were afraid to come to work.

Ariel Lopez has worked at Real Hacienda for four years and says he wasn't scheduled, but his nephew was.

"I was like worried about him, and I worry about my friends too because we are like a family here so that's why I worry about it," Lopez said. "So I came to work today because I need money; I have bills to pay. I have a little baby too."

This is the second time ICE agents have been in Owensboro since September.

They also made a similar sweep of Mexican food restaurants in Indianapolis Tuesday.

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