'Day Without Immigrants': DC Protest Underway, Businesses Close Their Doors

WASHINGTON, DC — Restaurants are shutting down, schools are on short staff and many other businesses in the area are feeling the pinch: it's a national "Day Without Immigrants," and as the seat of the U.S. government, D.C. will be particularly affected on Thursday as the debate rages on Capitol Hill.

The protest was launched in response to President Trump's vigorous efforts to crack down on immigration, including building a wall on the Mexican border and blocking refugees from Muslim countries.

The protest involves immigrants choosing to stay home from school and work, and giving locals an idea of what it would be like to be without immigrants.

The Washington Post published a list of more than 30 D.C. restaurants that would either entirely shut down on Thursday or limit their operations. Many restaurant owners are openly supporting their immigrant employees. Well-known D.C. chef José Andrés said that all of their restaurants would shut down to show solidarity for immigrants, and Busboys and Poets is allowing their 600 employees to use a vacation day, according to an NBC 4 report.

The protest is even hitting a couple of schools. The Latin American Motessori Bilingual public charter school will close, and the Mundo Verde Bilingual Public Charter School has cancelled classes for preschool up to 1st grade, according to a WUSA report.

All over social media, people have been posting signs that have been placed in the windows of participating restaurants, detailing their limited service hours or closures and explaining the reasons behind their participation.

Letter to customers on door of @jaleo #DC #DayWithoutImmigrants @fox5dc @chefjoseandres pic.twitter.com/1oABWlsTzW
— Melanie Alnwick (@fox5melanie) February 16, 2017

Busboys & Poets, Sweetgreen and many other DC restaurants will be closed today as a sign of protest. #DayWithoutImmigrants pic.twitter.com/RLwtpr8Q77
— DC Maryland Virginia (@DMVFollowers) February 16, 2017

Multiple restaurant shutdowns/adjusted hours in DC today for #DayWithoutImmigrants : pic.twitter.com/UDFZBXoMJb
— Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) February 16, 2017

Image of a girl at a rally for immigrant rights in Lafayette Park in D.C. via Flickr user Alan Kotok