The Crab Pad in Logan Square is passing the hat for one of its own after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained two of the employee's family members, leaving the household scrambling to cover bills and hang on to their West Side apartment. Relatives say a 19-year-old and an older man were taken during an ICE check-in, a move that has blown a hole in the family's finances and pushed co-workers and neighbors to organize support while the detainees are moved between facilities.
Owner Steps In With Emergency Fundraiser
Owner Theresa Tran set up a fundraiser to help the employee keep up with rent, utilities, and potentially mounting legal costs and bail, according to Block Club Chicago. Family member Diana told the outlet that the worker's 19-year-old daughter, Duri, and Diana's husband were detained during an immigration check-in on Nov. 11. They were first held at the Broadview facility, then transferred to a detention center in El Paso and to the Cibola County Correctional Center in New Mexico.
Diana said the family, who emigrated from Venezuela and has an active asylum case and work permits, is now being drained by pricey phone calls from detention. On top of that, they are staring down the possibility of losing their apartment without the income those relatives used to bring in.
ICE Activity Has Local Restaurants On Edge
That anxiety is not confined to one seafood joint. Recent enforcement actions have rattled restaurateurs and diners across Chicago, with some neighborhood spots reporting fewer customers as people worry about a visible ICE presence. As reported by WBEZ, community organizations have responded by pulling together donation drives, legal aid and publicity campaigns to back up eateries and workers caught in the middle of enforcement sweeps. Owners say the fallout hits not just those detained, but payroll and neighborhood business revenue too.
Crab Pad Regulars Rally Around The Family
The Crab Pad, a BYOB seafood spot in Logan Square, has been quietly collecting small donations from customers and funneling that cash directly to the employee and her family, neighbors said. The restaurant sits on Milwaukee Avenue in the heart of the neighborhood, according to its online listing, and regulars say staff have tried to keep the focus firmly on mutual aid rather than on details that might draw extra enforcement attention. MapQuest lists the business at the Logan Square address.
How Neighbors Can Pitch In
Tran's fundraiser was set up to cover immediate essentials like rent, household bills and possible legal expenses, Block Club Chicago reported. Neighbors and community groups say they plan to keep up small-scale drives and other support efforts while the family continues its immigration case and works to stay connected across long-distance detention transfers.
