{"id":14243,"date":"2025-06-25T18:57:11","date_gmt":"2025-06-25T18:57:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/14243\/"},"modified":"2025-06-25T18:57:11","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T18:57:11","slug":"hillcrest-bar-hosts-ice-workshop-for-small-businesses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/14243\/","title":{"rendered":"Hillcrest bar hosts ICE workshop for small businesses"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Lawyers answer questions from local Hillcrest business owners\/Courtesy of Kristen Nevins <\/p>\n

Local business owners gathered at Number One Fifth Avenue<\/a> in Hillcrest this week in order to learn from lawyers on how to safeguard their community against potential raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Americans Against Fascism founder Vinny Belmont outside Number One Bar in Hillcrest (Photo courtesy Kristen Nevins )<\/p>\n

Hosted by advocacy group Americans Against Fascism<\/a>, the event was designed to help small businesses understand their rights and prepare their employees in case of a potential ICE raid.<\/p>\n

AAF member Kristen Nevins said that this event isn\u2019t intended to be viewed as \u201cpolitical\u201d or as a protest, but simply as a way to educate the local community.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The event, held in the bar\u2019s \u201cPride Room,\u201d was led by AAF founder Vinny Belmont and hosted a panel of three lawyers, including two attorneys with experience in immigration law.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe really wanted to equip people with a toolbox in the event of an ICE raid,\u201d business attorney Kahlia Corral said to the crowd of community members.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not just spreading information, we\u2019re spreading a good thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Attendees received several printed handouts with resources for undocumented workers, including contacts for legal services, rapid response hotlines, and a step-by-step guide for handling ICE raids in the workplace.<\/p>\n

Lawyers gave a presentation on workers\u2019 rights and reviewed legal ICE procedure, addressing common questions about immigration law such as how to recognize a valid judicial warrant.<\/p>\n

Community members often jumped in with their own questions about the law, leading to lively discussions with the entire group on ways businesses can best support their employees.<\/p>\n

As lawyers explained the legal distinction between public and private spaces, audience member Aubree Miller raised her hand to recommend that other business owners clearly mark these areas with signage in preparation for a potential ICE raid.<\/p>\n

\n

Miller, 37, runs a marketing agency out of South Park, and said that the raid last month deeply worried many businesses in the neighborhood.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She was among several attendees who actively asked questions and shared advice with fellow community members throughout the event.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Lawyers answer questions from local Hillcrest business owners\/Courtesy of Kristen Nevins <\/p>\n

Belmont said that he was so angry after ICE raided South Park\u2019s Bonna Fochetta<\/a> in late May that he took to social media to express his frustration \u2014 where he was later contacted by Corral, who said she could offer legal advice.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Belmont, an experienced grassroots organizer, rallied community members<\/a> during the COVID-19 pandemic to crowdfund thousands of care packages filled with face masks and gloves for first responders nationwide.<\/p>\n

Building on their combined experience, Belmont and Corral created AFF.\u00a0<\/p>\n

They decided to hold their first event for business owners in Hillcrest, which Belmont chose because of his personal connection to the neighborhood as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is my community and it\u2019s where I can make the most impact,\u201d Belmont said. \u201cI just have to do everything I can to help.\u201d<\/p>\n