ALBANY PARK — Rojo Gusano chef Dudley Nieto joined the national "Day Without Immigrants" movement, shuttering all three of his taco joints Thursday in protest of changing federal immigration policies.
The restaurants are in Albany Park, Belmont Cragin and Ravenswood.
Nieto, the son of a Mexican mother and Spanish father, encouraged patrons to instead spend their money on a donation to any one of several nonprofit organizations, including the ACLU and Southern Poverty Law Center.
Bistro Campagne in Lincoln Square, which has also declared itself a "Sanctuary Restaurant," is closed as well.
Dozens of restaurants across Chicago are taking part in the one-day walkout. Chef Rick Bayless is the highest profile participant, closing Frontera Grill, Xoco, Fonda Frontera and Topolobampo, which on Wednesday was the only Chicago restaurant listed as an "outstanding restaurant" semifinalist for the prestigious James Beard Award.
Organizers of the "Day Without Immigrants" protest have asked foreign-born people to stay home from work and school and to refrain from spending money in order to demonstrate their value in the United States, regardless of legal status.
