Special Sauce with Ed Levine ICE in DC: WaPo's Tim Carman and Warren Rojas Explain All
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Dec 5, 2025 Tim Carman, a seasoned food reporter at The Washington Post, and Warren Rojas, a local dining expert, dive into the heavy impact of ICE raids on immigrant restaurant workers in D.C. They discuss the precarious choices workers face between safety and employment. The duo also reveals how fear and enforcement tactics are reshaping the city’s vibrant food scene, with stories of community resilience amid turmoil. Listeners get a glimpse of the chilling effects of policy on the faces behind beloved eateries and learn ways to support these vital community pillars.
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Restaurant Scene Extends Beyond City Limits
- Washington, D.C.'s food scene spans the city and suburbs and relies heavily on immigrant-owned businesses.
- Tim Carman says many vibrant restaurants operate outside the city proper due to high costs and immigrant ownership.
Workers Trade Shifts And Use Back Doors
- Warren Rojas recounts workers trading shifts and using back doors to avoid attention during raids.
- He describes busboys, dishwashers, and servers making daily risk calculations to feed their families.
Tactics Shift From Stations To Commutes
- ICE shifted tactics from visible National Guard presence to roadside stops along commutes and thoroughfares.
- Tim Carman explains agents now pull over work-like vehicles, leaving abandoned vans and detained workers on commute routes.