Two more Zipps Sports Grill locations welcomed back customers on Thursday in the Phoenix area, following a sweeping raid by immigration enforcement earlier in the week, as reported by FOX 10 Phoenix. The federal operation targeted all 14 branches of the eatery as well as Goldie's Sports Cafe in Scottsdale, resulting in over 35 arrests on allegations of immigration violations and identity fraud. Despite the doors reopening, patrons have shown mixed emotions, with some commenting on the unsettling nature of the raids.
While the Tempe location had already reopened on Wednesday with customer turnout described as "packed," the location near Camelback and Miller roads saw a steady flow of customers from 11 a.m. on Jan. 29. Regular patrons such as Mark, expressed a sense of concern about the aggressive tactics of ICE, stating in a FOX 10 Phoenix interview, "I think there’s fault on both sides," and hoping for a swift resolution. Another customer voiced fears of potential violence, with Victor saying, "As soon as I see a person with ICE, what runs in my mind is they might shoot somebody ..."
Originating from a tip reported a year ago, the investigation unveiled employees allegedly using fraudulent names and Social Security numbers to gain employment, according to court documents detailed by Arizona's Family Investigates. The probe led to the arrests of individuals like Edwin Flores Rosales, Salvador Villenueva-Rosas, and Ludwin Benjamin Perez Velasco. They are accused of falsifying I-9 forms, claiming U.S. citizenship, and leveraging fabricated identification.
Diego Gonzalez-Rosales, 36, allegedly played a central role in the hiring scheme for Zipps' kitchen staff across various locations. He has been charged with recruiting and hiring individuals unauthorized to work in the U.S,. by using counterfeit documentation to pass them through the E-Verify system. Federal authorities found discrepancies, where 76 employees purported to be U.S. citizens without the requirement of an A-number—an identifier for legal noncitizen workers—and had been associated with multiple employers aside from Zipps, as stated in the complaint accessed by Arizona's Family Investigates.
Despite the reopenings, Zipps' owner, Todd Goldman, who has had the chain for over a decade, currently faces no criminal charges. The recent events have drawn parallels to past SB 1070 enforcement actions, highlighting the complexity of immigration and employment law enforcement. Meanwhile, federal authorities have yet to disclose the outcome for all individuals detained in the latest raids.
