Immigration Raids at Zipps Sports Grill Result in Prison Sentence
In a significant development stemming from a series of immigration raids, a kitchen manager has been sentenced to five months in federal prison for his participation in hiring undocumented workers at Zipps Sports Grill locations in Phoenix.
Federal authorities conducted search operations at 14 Zipps restaurants across the Phoenix area in January. These raids were initiated following a tip-off to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) about the employment of undocumented individuals at these establishments.
Among those implicated was Diego Gonzalez-Rosales, a Mexican national residing unlawfully in the United States. Gonzalez-Rosales admitted guilt in March to charges associated with possessing or using false identification as part of a scheme to employ undocumented workers at Zipps. As per court records, he is slated for deportation after serving his sentence.
The raids saw masked federal agents at various Zipps locations, including one on 32nd Street and Shea Boulevard in Phoenix, as documented by Matthew Casey from KJZZ. Additionally, Tim Agne from KJZZ captured images of federal agents at the Zipps location near Warner Road and 48th Street in Phoenix, where around 30 observers were present.
In another instance, advocates from the Puente Human Rights Movement gathered outside a Zipps Sports Grill in south Tempe, expressing their stance on the situation, as noted by Chad Snow of KJZZ.
Beyond these locations, federal agents were present at Zipps Sports Grill on Mill Avenue near University Drive in Tempe, as documented by Nick Sanchez of KJZZ. These actions involved serving warrants at 15 Zipps locations around the Phoenix area.
The aftermath of the raids also led to the closure of Goldie’s Sports Grill near 96th Street and Shea Boulevard in Scottsdale, owned by Zipps, as captured by Phil Latzman from KJZZ.
