Busboys And Poets Closes For 'Day Without Immigrants' Protest

TAKOMA PARK, MD — Showing support for the national "Day Without Immigrants" protest, a popular restaurant in Takoma is closed on Thursday, Feb. 16.

Busboys and Poets will not serve customers at any of its six locations throughout the Washington, DC, area Thursday, including the Takoma restaurant at 235 Carroll St. NW.

"As an immigrant myself, I had a duty to stand in solidarity with my staff," owner Anas "Andy" Shallal, an Iraqi-American artist, activist and restaurateur told Patch. "We had a deep, heartfelt conversation and it was an easy decision. There are times when standing on the sidelines is not an option."

This is a move many other businesses nationwide are making Thursday to show they oppose President Donald Trump's immigration policies.

Organizers for the Day Without Immigrants protest are urging immigrants in the United States to skip class, call out of work and abstain from spending money Thursday to make clear they do not support Trump's immigration policies.

When asked if he was worried about the closing affecting future business, Shallal told Patch there are times when the monetary costs matter far less than the issues at hand.

"I want to make sure that immigrants such as myself and others don't live in fear," Shallal said. "It's also a larger conversation about immigration reform, we cannot continue to ignore this forever. We need immigration reform that is humanistic and value people's lives."

Since taking office, Trump has signed executive orders establishing the creation of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and cutting off federal grant money to "sanctuary cities," jurisdictions where local governments do not enforce federal immigration laws.

»SEE ALSO: Bethesda Restaurant Closes For 'Day Without Immigrants' Protest

In Washington, D.C., more than 30 restaurants are closing as part of the boycott. Businesses in Chicago, Minneapolis and Austin, Texas, are also participating. All Sweetgreen locations in the DC area are closed Thursday, says The Washington Post, including the Bethesda site at 4831 Bethesda Ave. and the Silver Spring location at 8517 Georgia Ave.

A Day Without Immigrants march is also planned in Baltimore at 1 p.m. on Thursday at the Creative Alliance at 3134 Eastern Avenue. Participants will walk to Patterson Park during the demonstration.

"Immigration reform should not be about building taller walls, hiring more border patrols and building more detention centers," Shallal told Patch. "It must be about working to unite families, creating conditions where people don't have to flee, making sure that the waiting period for loved ones is not ridiculous."

Patch Editor Elizabeth Janney contributed reporting for this story.

Photo: Daniel Lobo/Flickr