With the Chicago area feeling the weight and pressure of heightened federal enforcement activity across the region, a Chicago-based restaurateur has come under fire for his open support of President Donald Trump, inciting backlash against businesses he’s associated with, including one owned by his daughter.
Sam Sanchez — who owns Moe’s Cantina and other Chicago restaurants and is on the board of the National Restaurant Association — threw his support behind Trump last fall alongside other like-minded Latinos amid frustration with the Democratic Party for what they saw as a failure to provide comprehensive immigration reform.
Sanchez and other Mexican American and Latino business leaders across the nation who support Trump formed a coalition, called the Comité de 100, focused on advocating for bipartisan immigration reform, prioritizing border security, and providing legal status for law-abiding “Dreamers,” young adults brought to the country as children, and long-term workers in the U.S. without legal permission in all industries.
However, after the announcement of the Trump administration’s “Operation Midway Blitz,” Sanchez visited Washington this week to urge the White House to slow deportations and support a stalled immigration reform bill, Block Club Chicago reported Tuesday.
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Sanchez did not immediately return a request for comment.
A day later, Sanchez’s daughter — Samantha Sanchez, a fellow restaurateur who owns La Luna in Pilsen and La Lunita in Logan Square — issued a statement distancing herself and her businesses from her father’s politics.
“I want to address the ongoing attacks and false claims that I and my restaurants are ‘pro-Trump,’” her statement read. “Let me be absolutely clear: I have never expressed, posted, shared or endorsed support for Donald Trump in any way.”
Noting that she has faced backlash directed at her because of her father’s political beliefs, Samantha Sanchez stated, “His beliefs are his own and do not represent me, my businesses, or my team.”
“My values are guided by integrity, respect, and community — and that is what I stand for both personally and professionally,” her statement continued. “From day one, I have worked to create a supportive, respectful environment and an open-door policy for my team. … I am proud to be a hardworking Latina woman who took a chance, and I will continue to fight for what I’ve built alongside my team.”
Samantha Sanchez denied further comment.
The backlash has also ensnared V5 Group, a Chicago entertainment marketing company that had planned to host a Cafetón party —a coffee party with reggaeton music — Sunday in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Social media users accused V5 Group of supporting Sanchez’s political beliefs because of its affiliation with his restaurants, and urged the Latino community not to attend the party.
The group canceled the event Friday afternoon, citing concerns about immigration enforcement activities in Chicago and social media posts claiming federal agents would be at the gathering. It also scrapped plans for a similar event in Los Angeles over the weekend.
“While we took every precaution, asked every question and confirmed through all official channels that our guests would be safe, we can’t ignore the fear and anxiety this has caused,” V5 Group said in a statement on Instagram.
A day earlier, the group issued a statement saying that Sam Sanchez had no involvement in its operations or in the planning of Cafetón.
“Cafetón is its own brand and community-driven event, operating independently under the V5 umbrella,” the group said in the statement. “We have never contributed funds to anti-immigrant organizations. Our mission is to create spaces where our community feels safe, seen, and united, and to stand firmly against anti-immigrant agendas, deportations, ICE raids, and policies that harm our community.”
V5 stated that the event will go on and that plans are in place in case the outdoor party was the target of immigration enforcement.
V5 could not be reached for comment.
baiduhai’s Lauryn Azu contributed.