Restaurants in the nation's capital will close their doors Thursday to support a protest called "a day without immigrants."
NPR reports that several eateries in Washington, D.C. — including five owned by Spanish-born chef José Andrés, who is involved in a legal dispute with President Donald Trump — will take part in the social media campaign that carries the hashtag #ADayWithoutImmigrants.
The protest is in response to Trump's executive action on immigration, which has since been put on hold by court orders. Trump's directive temporarily halted immigration from seven countries with a terror presence and halted America's refugee program until stricter background checks can be implemented.
#ADayWithoutImmigrants requests that people born outside of the United States not go to work, open their businesses, or make any purchases for a day.
The New York Times reports that restaurants and businesses across the country have committed to partaking in the protest.
Amaya Sales, who works at the Busboys and Poets chain in the D.C. area, told the Times the protest is about standing up for immigrants.
"It's just to, like, show most of America how much important we are to do the hard work in the United States," he said.
Andrés, who emigrated from Spain in 1991 and is now a U.S. citizen, broke a contract he had with the Trump International Hotel in Washington to open a restaurant after Trump made comments about Mexicans in 2015. Trump sued him over the row and Andrés filed a countersuit.
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