A small chain of Washington D.C. restaurants — many of which boast 4+ star ratings on restaurent review sites like OpenTable — were suddenly raided by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during its lunch rush yesterday.
Chef Geoff’s, a small DC-based restaurant chain owned by CBS News star Norah O’Donnell’s husband, Geoff Tracy, was among the handful of eateries targeted by the federal agents on Tuesday, according to local Fox affiliate FOX5.
ICE raided DC restaurant owned by CBS News star Norah O’Donnell’s husbandhttps://t.co/JMMAiZVbrz
— Mr Producer (@RichSementa) May 7, 2025
According to reports, nearly a dozen ICE and law enforcement agents went to one of the locations at about 10:30 a.m. and spent roughly 90 minutes asking to see workers’ I-9 forms — the employment verification record used to ensure employees are legally allowed to work in the US.
No one was taken into custody at the Chef Geogg’s Northwest DC location, according to the New York Post.
Tracy’s first Chef Geoff’s establishment opened in 2000. He opened his second restaurant, Chef Geoff’s Downtown, in 2002. His restaurants have been in business for over 20 years
Chef Geoff’s was not the only area restaurant visited by ICE yesterday.
Nearly nine immigration officials raided another well-known establishment — Millie’s — just as it was opening for lunch.
Millie’s owner, Bo Blair, told The Washingtonian that agents didn’t push back when he denied their requests to speak to his employees.
“They all came in all of the public entrances at the same time,” Blair said.
At least seven other DC eateries were also targeted throughout the day, including Officina, Jaleo, Santa Rosa Taqueria, Pupatella, Call Your Mother, and Clyde’s.
Michael Jones, general manager of Pupatella’s Dupont location, told food publication Eater that agents “came to the front door” but never entered the building.
“It was very cordial, very polite,” he said.
According to DC NBC affiliate NBC4, some of the restaurants were given advance notice of the looming I-9 inspections, including verbal warnings that ICE agents would return to inspect forms in a few days.
DC’s Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser issued a statement saying she was upset to learn of the raids.
“It appears that ICE is at restaurants or even in neighborhoods, and it doesn’t look like they’re targeting criminals, and so it is disrupting,” Bowser said.
“I want to be clear, this is not an [Metropolitan Police Department] action, no MPD activity involved.”