I-Team Extra: Are illegal immigration sweeps in DC restaurants new? Experts say no

WASHINGTON (7News) — The sweeps by ICE going on right now at restaurants in Washington, DC and elsewhere across the United States are not a new approach to catching people who enter the nation illegally.

"Restaurants are often targets of these because it's an industry that depends to a large degree on immigrant workers, including sometimes undocumented workers," says Ernesto Castaneda, Director of the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies at American University.

ALSO WATCH | Reporter breaks down recent ICE crackdowns in DC restaurants

Are sweeps ramping up under President Trump's administration?

You bet, but according to immigration law experts, it's not a major shift in ICE's overall mission to protect America through criminal investigations and enforcing immigration laws to preserve national security.

There is a fear among some workers in DC that even though they are fully documented, they might be detained if questions pop up, so they are skipping their shift at work.

"It is a very minuscule number of employers who get in trouble for hiring undocumented people," adds Professor Castaneda.

ALSO READ | Advocacy groups offer resources to DC's immigrant residents after reported ICE activity