UPDATE: Thursday on July 31 at 10:30 a.m.: Andrew Hoffman, an attorney who represents Jubilee Marketplace, reached out to West Side Rag on Wednesday evening with additional information on the situation at the Upper West Side grocer.
Hoffman confirmed that Jubilee Marketplace received an I-9 audit earlier in July from the Department of Homeland Services.
By Gus Saltonstall
In recent days, a sign appeared on the front door of Jubilee Marketplace, a popular grocer for nearby residents on Freedom Place, between 68th and 69th streets.
“Due to labor shortages and recent immigration policies, we will be temporarily adjusting our store hours,” the note signed by Jubilee Marketplace Management read. “We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and truly appreciate your patience, understanding, and continued support during this time.”
The store is now open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. starting on Monday, which is a change from its usual 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. window of operation.
West Side Rag visited the Upper West Side grocer, dubbed “The Friendliest Marketplace,” on Monday afternoon to investigate what had prompted the change.
A woman who identified herself as the wife of the owner of the store, but did not want to give her name, along with an additional management member, who also wished not to be identified, told the Rag the changes happened after a visit from the federal government.
Sometime at the end of last week, federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security, who were not U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE] agents, arrived at Jubilee Marketplace to serve the business an I-9 audit to ensure that the store was in compliance with employee eligibility laws, according to the two Jubilee staff members.
Among the employee eligibility laws checked by this specific audit, include that the individuals hired by a business are lawfully in the United States, according to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement website.
Businesses that fail the I-9 audit are required to cease the unlawful activity, and may be monetarily fined or criminally prosecuted.
The day after the federal agents arrived at the Upper West Side store, a large contingent of Jubilee’s staff did not come to work, and they have not returned since, according to the wife of the owner.
“The employees were scared,” she said. “The whole nation is having people deported right now, but please stop the deporting, it is hurting our small businesses.”
“We love our employees. We are thankful for them,” she added. “It’s chaos right now.”
When the Rag visited the store on Monday, multiple employees appeared to be getting trained at their job for the first time in the cash register area.
These I-9 audits of businesses to check the backgrounds of employees have increased under the Trump administration during both of his terms, as reported last week by the Financial Times’ piece — “US Companies Overwhelmed by Trump’s Immigration Audit Paperwork”
“The four-page I-9 form is so technical that US Citizenship and Immigration Services publishes an eight-page manual on how to complete it,” the Financial Times reported, while adding that businesses have just three days to hand over the I-9 forms and supporting documents to the federal government for all of its employees.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson previously said in a statement to the Financial Times about the issue that “the Trump administration is working with American employers to ensure they have the legal workforce they need to be successful.”
The other management member of Jubilee reiterated the difficulty of the situation for the Upper West Side grocer.
“This is not some large chain business,” she said. “This is very hard for us.”
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It’s really not that complicated. The law states potential employees need to provide employers proof that they’re a citizen or a legal resident of the US to be allowed to work.
Had Jubilee been in compliance with this law then Jubilee and its employees have nothing to worry about.
I am sickened by the cruelty that my country, a nation of immigrants, is imposing of hard working immigrants who work and want to live the “American Dream”. How can they succeed when they are picked up right outside of their immigration hearings? What have we become?
You clearly do not have a business in New York, especially in the grocery, restaurant, hotel, other hospitality sectors, or construction. NYC has relied on immigrants who are willing to jobs that citizens won’t. They are hardworking honest and reliable. Our immigration system is not simple or easy or just, and requires a great deal of money to tackle.
Any legitimate payroll service requires that employees fill out an I-9 form to prove their identity. One needs to produce a US passport, or a driver’s license and a social security card. Working at an accounting firm, I had to convince my clients that this was necessary to prevent a possible audit, and / or a penalty.
So hire illegal folks we know nothing about?
If you have to pay your staff $6 per hour to stay in business you are not viable
Minimum wage in New York City is $16.50. Are you suggesting this store was paying $10.50 less than the minimum wage? Or just making things up?
If their employees are illegal immigrants, they are definitely paying them way less than the minimum wage, by paying them in cash under the table
Democrats can tell the difference between 57 genders but can’t tell the difference between legal and illegal immigrants.
Extremely constructive and very helpful.
NOT constructive or in any way helpful
…and yet True, and also hilarious.
Then make it possible to actually move here legally. There is this two step where people say “just follow the law” and then don’t mention that Republicans have made it essentially impossible to get the paperwork needed legally. So people work without papers – they’re happy, their employers are happy, their customers are happy. But people who watch Fox News all day are mad about it so everyone else suffers.
What are you talking about? It’s possible…people do it every day! But you can’t just *jump the line* and waltz right in whenever you want.
While I agree that it should be *much* easier for skilled immigrants to come here (i.e. a point system like most of the developed world) you can thank both parties for that problem.
It’s embarrassing to see people here acting like it’s impossible to implement basic border controls that are found in Canada, the EU, Japan, Korea, and again…pretty much every other country.
I can tell you’ve never set foot outside the US. Basic border controls in the EU? Japan and Korea? A little hard to blend in!
Ridiculous…the only thing Republicans are doing is ENFORCING existing law. How about some of the working age able (exemptions for caregivers, students and those volunteering) getting jobs instead of living off taxpayers.
Republicans control all three branches of government. If you want to reduce ILLEGAL immigration you could do it two ways – either this insane crack down, or just make it possible for people with no criminal records to get the paperwork they need to live and work here legally. Why not let people who want to do the right thing actually do it? People want to immigrate legally if it was possible.
Is that what MSNBC tells you?
No one says it’s easy to immigrate and work here. We. Want and need immigrants to do this work for us but the govt provides no legal way to make it happen. That’s just politics.
Have you been reading the news? Even those legally allowed to work have been rounded up in ICE raids and deported, with no due process.
That is just NOT true. While there have been mistakes in picking up “legals”, they have been released and apologies given. NOT one “legal” has been deported (except convicted criminals).
Wrong – plenty have been deported with no criminal record. Do you only watch Fox?
According to CNN, MSNBC, etc. etc. etc. Yawn.
No, they haven’t. Exceptions don’t make the rule…and be honest: you only know of a few high-profile exceptions.
yeah but this is not that. The smaller groceries pick up day laborers. There are multitudes of asylum seekers in nyc who get work authorization after 180 days. But you have to pay them minimum wage, and soc security and workers comp.
Not everyone qualifies for asylum. Wanting to work and economic hardship in your homeland country is not political asylum. Also the fee for a lawyer is high. Not enough charity lawyers to do the work.
Yep! in NYC and the Bay Area of California. ICE does not care.
Like Germany 1939….
Wow, you really equating the two…just so foolish & incorrect. But hey if Whoopie says it, you must think it’s true.
Exactly! It’s unlawful and against the Constitution! These people don’t even have Offical uniforms or I.D.s on them. They wear masks! They could be Anyone! It’s SICK!
They could be anyone, but I think we know they’re not just *anyone*… I’m sure the president would assert that they are some “very fine people”…
I, for one, am happy that our agents are as Covid-conscious as our violent protesters.
You can’t be too safe!
And increasingly, they ARE anyone: it’s a great career opportunity in unskilled thuggery, not even counting the imposters.
Exactly this!! Murray-has your head been in the sand or under a rock for the past month or two??? “Not that complicated”!! Wow. Good one.
So the store’s paperwork is in pristine order then?
Because that’s what the article is about. The rest of it sounds like the other guy – “I love love love my customers – I stayed open during Covid — to feed them rat-infested bagels.”
The people who controlled Biden opened the border and let millions of people in from people over the world. President Trump closed in in a day. We must deport the millions who were let in illegally. Police work is often not pretty.
Start with the Magas
Just to clarify – you are for political persecution?
their hate runs deep
It’s hilarious that you’ve stated two trivially verifiable facts – Biden let in millions of people, and Trump closed the border – yet there’s a chorus of responses yelling “lies!”
Ideology is a hell of a drug.
Every sentence you wrote is essentially true despite what the other commenters say
Why on earth do the moderators of this comment section allow these posts to go up? I know everyone’s been numbed by abased discourse but let’s send it back to the fringes by not giving it a platform.
Not even close to the truth. I don’t know where you get your information, but it is sorely lacking.
What’s not true? Enlighten me.
OPOD: Every line in your response contains an untrue assertion. Please stick to facts if at all possible.
Except that all a lie. Nice try.
How is it a lie? Are you actually saying the border was not wide open during the Biden years?
It was not “wide open”. Yes people from Haiti, Venezuela, Cuba, Afghanistan – were allowed to apply for asylum and given temporary status. Why don’t you take a look at how thing are in Haiti for instance. I don’t know why after several years of reading comments in the WSR that I am still amazed by the hidden Trumpers in my midst.
People wanted to come here during the Biden years. Immigration is a huge net positive for the USA despite a flawed system. Trump has stopped immigration and tourism. The USA is a place to be avoided now internationally and is being boycotted in canada because of trump and republican policies.
Biden simply did NOT “open the borders”. That’s a fallacy. Go lookup the numbers of arrests and send backs vs Trumps 1st term. Not to mention the bipartisan bill that Trump had blocked. It’s all readily available.
yeah…NO.
Employers of illegal immigrants should be jailed and pay triple fines, some of which should go to either helping their illegal staff become legal or help them return to their country of origin. Extra fines if they are proved to underpay and exploit them.
13th Amendment, y’all.
And now you’re concerned with the 13th amendment? How convenient.
You’re NOT concerned about the 13th amendment?!
“…helping their illegal staff become legal…”
Have you been in a coma for the past six months? There’s no such thing. Immigrants without the proper paperwork (and many with) are rounded up and deported (possibly to the home country, and possibly not) without due process. This is no path to “become legal” for these people. The Obama and Biden administrations were working on this, but clearly that’s not happening anymore.
“The Obama and Biden administrations were working on this”. In 12 years, how much progress did they make?
Now that you’ve presumably gotten a little rage and resentment out of your system, you should have a look at the RELEVANT amendment — the Fourteenth. Like so many in this country, they may be WAGE slaves but they’re not slaves.
By the way, if anyone is wondering who’ll fill the positions left vacant when all the “illegals” have been rounded up and disappeared, MAGA has an answer:
https://crooksandliars.com/2025/07/allow-children-do-it-fox-news-host-calls
Wrong (yet again). The 13th abolished slavery.
And how is ‘wage slavery’ not slavery?
[PATIENTLY] Yes, I’m familiar with the contents of the Thirteenth Amendment and have been for quite possibly longer than you’ve been alive. I suggest you expand your awareness to encompass the Fourteenth Amendment, the one more pertinent to the issue at hand. Did you read UWS Resident’s comment? Did you read my reply to it? If you do so, you might see the connection, though I wouldn’t bet the farm on it. Do you stand with the MAGA horde against the 14th, and can you admit to it publicly?
How is “wage slavery” not what the Thirteenth Amendment was all about? A few hints: shackles, whippings, forced labor, abrogation of fundamental human rights…. Perhaps you once worked at a job you didn’t like, thought it was the end of the world, and prayed for liberation — sorry, not the same thing. Anyhow, your concern for slaves is both touching and aberrant in that Donald Donald & the Project 2025 gang are striving to nullify the 13th as well as the 14th (and various others).
“Wrong (yet again).” Please cite a previous instance.
“it was worse in the 1970s”
I said that? Actually, I’m quite fond of the 1970s and regard that era as the apex of rock’n’roll, along with a few other things. Might I trouble you for a link to the passage in question? (If it was a reply to someone else in this forum, you can copy the URL of the name after “Reply to” to get pretty close to it.)
It just doesn’t sound like the kind of thing I’d say — but of course I might be wrong “(yet again)”.
We all benefit from the work of immigrants. These raids on hardworking people don’t get us closer to a sensible immigration policy.
Then again, the law is the law. And it seems this store isn’t following the law.
Though I’d love an investigation as to why they have virtually no prices posted ANYWHERE in the store. You don’t find out what things cost for almost any item until checkout. I don’t go to this store because the prices aren’t posted and are always 20% more than almost anywhere else.
Nowhere in the article was any failure of the 1-9 audit mentioned.
In case you’ve missed it, ICE has been snatching off the street plenty of American citizens whose only “crime” seems to be not being white.
I shopped at this store nonstop for the decade I lived around the corner from it, and many of its employees were people who appeared to be Asian and LatinX. The reason their employees stopped showing up is because they’re rightly afraid they’ll be improperly targeted due to racial profiling.
And who can blame them, when we’ve seen how unaccountable this government is for such “administrative errors” (cough cough Kilmar Ábrego García)??
I agree with the store owners that the deportation has to stop—it’s created a pervasive atmosphere of fear in which perfectly legal American citizens are too scared to go to work, and where a government that claims to be anti-terrorist is actively running a wholesale campaign of domestic terrorism designed to hurt all but the absolutely most privileged.
(And oh by the way, I literally never once had an issue finding an item’s price… perhaps this is a more recent phenomenon necessitated by endless fluctuations in cost brought on by this country’s totally pointless tariff insanity?)
it does get us closer to sensible immigration policies.
for decades we’ve heard the sky will fall if we actually enforce the laws, so they were never enforced as they should have been, resulting in a permanent underclass of illegal immigrants. well, let’s see what actually happens.
it’s guaranteed that if this results in massive business losses lawmakers will be forced to change the law to allow for immigration, or work permits.
Would love to see more effort and resources put towards processing visas for migrant workers. I note that many seasonal staff are migrants. People who come here from abroad to support summer resort areas, camps, etc. People who work on farms, etc. There are mechanisms in place to handle this population legally, 3 – 6 month Visas perhaps? Imagine all the problems that would disappear if this issue was dealt with in an above board way?
I might agree if you included a restriction on their sending their earnings out of the country. They shouldn’t be allowed to send most of their spending power outside the US. Make it here; spend it here. This country shouldn’t be a cash cow for their families who remained behind.
If the super rich can have off-shore accounts, yachts, and summer and winter homes overseas, why can’t a poor working stiff help bring his or her family over or send some money “home” like our ancestors did? Seems pretty classist to me. You mean to tell me that not all men are created equal? Call me when the rich buy only American, and not French or Italian, designer duds, foreign cars, electronics, antiques, art, and I could go on, but why bother?
What part of follow the law confuses you? Bring their family into our country without permission? NO. Come here legal or get the heck out.
Did you come here legally?
Very interesting point. Maybe these wages should be taxed differently? But it boils down to accepting the reality of the situation and what these workers are here for. No judgement but let’s stop doing summersaults around government funded this and that if the reality is that workers have short term aspirations. This isn’t all. Some want citizenship and perm residency. but many do not. And that may be ok. It let’s stop funding programs that are a waste. Sorry social workers but you probably know some of this is reality.
There is a cost to immigration as well. Lower wages, higher rents and crowded hospitals. Remove illegal immigration and see wages soar.
The recent Nobel-winning research on this shows that immigrants would only tend to drive wages down in the income band they’re working in (low-skilled workers decreasing low-skilled work wages) IF and only if they don’t spend money where they live. Immigrants create extra growth in jobs that meet their need as they join the community, and typically low-skilled ones (barbers, grocers, etc.). Based on the available economic data, the math works out to where the Labor supply and demand curves both move forward, and the equilibrium wage remains more-or-less the same.
The real reason for a decrease in wages across worker skill bands is the decrease in worker bargaining power due to corporate policies and anti-labor HR practices. As far as the law being the law, the German government of 1933 and 1945 also had staff reporting laws that it said businesses had to follow for the economic wellbeing of the German people. Nowadays most of us would consider business owners who didn’t follow those laws to be heroes.
You started out well but crashed with your reference to Germany laws. Employment laws that are connected to the proper filing of I-9 forms have been in existence for decades. To suggest that the Trump administration created new laws for the express purpose of singling out a certain type of person as the Germans did is disgusting. What the Trump administration is showing us is that laws that have been on the books have not been applied or enforced for a long time. What’s the point of laws and regulations that are ignored?
If they’re low income, they’re not likely to have disposable income.
But who cares about other low income workers, anyway, right?
I find it amazing how much disposable income many low wage workers have. Tattoos and other physical adornments are not essential but so many who have no money seem to be well adorned. I doubt that those artisans work for free.
And all the resources that are spent towards our sanctuary city status. Imagine how those could be deployed to others? This system and programs would disappear if we just stopped illegal migration.
Why are and when did people who are here illegally become more important than our citizens? We spent BILLIONS on them that should have been spent on citizens and our city! Illegal workers suppress wages and shame on businesses for continuing to hire them and for fostering the “jobs Americans wont do” myth. Now factor in the crime and drain on resources such as healthcare and schools. Enough.
Can you provide some detail on exactly what the “BILLIONS [sic]” you mention is being spent on? Illegal immigrants are not eligible for SNAP, Medicaid or any other government programs that support low-income Americans. If they’re employed (and on the books), they pay into Social Security, Medicaid and unemployment insurance, but are not eligible to receive benefits from any of these programs. The only time(s) that such people get any government support is if they go to an emergency room and can’t pay (Medicaid ultimately eats this and/or the hospital writes it off) and if they send their children to public schools. Many immigrants (especially nowadays) avoid both for fear of getting deported.
As for “jobs Americans wont[sic] do”, when was the last time you saw an American citizen working as a nanny, or a caregiver to the elderly, or a hotel housekeeper?
There are NFP that provide these services to illegal immigrants. While it’s considered private funding, many do receive grants from electeds so public money is going to provide these benefits. We would all be so much better is we ended illegal immigration and focused on bringing people over legally. So many problems would disappear.
First of all, the people you talking about are human beings, human beings who make this city a such a great place to be. Their contribution to our society is more than economical.
Since you seem to be under the mistaken impression that we spend billions on undocumented people, let’s look actual data:
Did you undocumented workers brought in $89.8B in state, federal and local taxes in 2023. They paid $96.7 billion in state, federal and local taxes in 2022. They pay taxes through a TIN number that the federal government assigns to them. in leu of a society security number. Unlike a social security number, people with TIN numbers are not eligible for federal programs, such as social security, medicare and medicaid.
Have you eaten a piece of fruit lately? If it was picked in the U.S., it was most likely picked by someone you seem to hate. Undocumented workers spend hours and hours out in the fields for barely any money and no benefits.
Are you ready to do that job? And no, most people in this country will not do this job.
Look into the massive crop losses we had the first time Trump was in office and decided to go after undocumented workers. It was brutal.
We are already seeing the ramification of the same brutality in his second term. Not only do his policies end up wasting enormous amounts of food, they also contribute to the unsustainable environmental crisis we are experiencing while also bankrupting the smaller family farms, which then end up closing.
All of this drives up the prices up on what you eat.
The same applies for slaughter houses, construction jobs, caregiver jobs, just about any job that takes a large toll on someone’s body and mind.
Undocumented workers are the backbone of the country. Without them, we are screwed. Even Reagan understood that this country needs undocumented workers. Current leadership has convinced you to hate the very people you should be grateful for.
If we want a better society, we need to stop villainizing undocumented workers and we need to work towards an easier path to citizenship. Demonizing “the other” is detrimental to all of us.
The people who you are depending on for news have convinced you that immigrants are the problem with our society. They are not. The problems were are having are directly linked insatiable levels of greed and control of the ultra-rich (with some white supremacy/Christian nationalism thrown in), who will never be happy, no matter how much money or control they get. To clarify, I am not conflating regular Christianity with Christian Nationalism. Those are two very different things. The former is a religion, and the latter is about establishing control and domination through the perversion of the Christian religion.
Please look into other news source because your current choices are letting you down.
One of the big reasons we have “jobs people won’t do” is because of the ever growing fat welfare system that pays people to not accept jobs that would compromise their ability to stay on welfare and receive benefits. These programs employ many people who make low wages, and are often recipients of various social programs that feed the government beast. I have had employees decline raises and promotions since the higher wage would disqualify them from welfare programs. Illegal immigration is the workaround to keep the welfare system thriving.
“…pays people to not accept jobs …”
Can you document any government program that does this? The reality is that 60-85% of SNAP or Medicaid recipients are employed and 70% of those work full time. The current employment rate is hovering in the 4% range. That means, if you could somehow magically make all the employed illegal immigrants disappear, and somehow compel every unemployed American of working age to take those jobs, the vast majority of the jobs they held would still go unfilled.
You seem to not be familiar with income limit requirements of numerous government assistance programs like Section 8, SNAP, & Medicaid. It’s irrelevant that a large percentage of recipients are employed. What matters is how much income they make in relation to their family unit size. It’s not uncommon for many to keep their reported income to a level that enables them to receive government assistance, so they either work off the books or for only a limited amount of hours.
.When? When they agreed to do jobs that others won’t do.
Yes they suppress wages to the point that Americans won’t do the jobs. It is welfare for businesses at the expense of US workers. ThTs why Cesar Chavez started the farm workers union decades ago. So stop spreading this nonsensical untrue myth.
it’s a myth that others won’t do them, or at least completely unproven. was there ever a time when we enforced the immigration laws strictly for us to say what happens? nope. it’s just taken as a given.
The old way was not perfect.. Biden should have done more. Then Trump completely undermined Biden’s effort to do something.
But the current response is a dramatic, performative over-reaction and is horrifying. Trump’s deplorable (yes, I used the word) supporters get such a kick out of this childishness. It is so sad. In the name of rounding up the few illegal immigrants who are committing crimes, many others are being denied their rights and carted away by loser thugs. How can people be OK with this.
And who is going to step up and do these jobs? Not the Trump supporters who are in favor of this but like to whine about how hard life is.
I believe that George Bush (son) tried to do things to address illegal immigration and the Dems squashed it. Its not just the meany Republicans who are at fault here.
Actually, more illegal immigrants were deported during the Obama administration than during any other administration in the past 50 years. Facts matter.
Really, would love to read the article.
https://chatgpt.com/s/t_688be93362b0819185a624f209cfd4ac
According to liberals illegals do jobs Americans refuse to do like,landscaping,retail, construction,hotel work,farming.
Quick question … ever see an American washing restaurant dishes or busing the tables? Not since WWII.
Also according to hard data collected by Republican administrations.
Because it’s true.
I am a Mexican-American born in the US, son of hard working immigrants. My dad when he initially entered, he found work, but was quickly deported. Learning from his mistake, he went through the process and attainted legal entry (sponsored by a friend of the family). Years later he had his wife, my mom, apply and she too entered legally. Decades later, they became citizens of this beautiful country. Through hard work and perseverance, they paid for my sister’s and I private education (through college). I believe one of their greatest accomplishments was never taking a dime or hand me down from the US government. They never wanted money, just an opportunity. The immigration process, while not perfect, does exist and is intended to control the number of people entering. People just bypassing the process or ‘cutting’ the line to enter is not fair to those who wait to enter legally. This country welcome all immigrants, but immigrations laws must be followed. This beautiful country is built on law and order.
Not sure how your father was deported and was then able to apply to come back “legally”. Not happening any time now.
Actually, this beautiful country was built on the backs of immigrants.
Nobody is against immigrants we are against Illegal immigration, big difference.
What’s your claim to citizenship?
The thing is the immigration laws are so complicated it almost encourages people to be undocumented for a period of time. People say get in line, but before Johnson Reed in 1924 there was no line and since then the immigration laws have become more and more complicated. Let’s face it, Americans want undocumented immigrants so they can stay in the shadows, be used and then be disposed of and then have a rinse and repeat cycle. Also let’s not forget that many people who are undocumented arrived here legally and a lot of immigration lawyers are not reliable or trustworthy. It is a vicious cycle and system.
Your parents and you were fortunate that life in Mexico and in many of its southern neighboring countries was not as threatening for your parents as it is now. Drug cartels rape and kill and kidnap in many places now. It’s especially galling to read “we were special; now shut the borders” from those now here.
Nice story, but times have changed. Comparing any era of immigration to today is a bit fallacious. Every generation of immigrants—either legal or illegal—faces a different set of obstacles, cultural attitudes and bureaucracy.
Most definitely agree with you. But laws are in place and need to be respected until they are changed to adjust for the changes in time.
Also the whole bit about handouts. Everyone needs help now and then. Almost reeks of a Republican writing this and pretending to be a Mexican immigrant. The US has the worst social safety net of the western world. Immigration is beneficial to this country and everyone gets help whether they publicly admit to it or not.
Do you assume that because they oppose open borders and no enforcement they must be “Republican?” Maybe move away from the labels. I know many first generation immigrants, some who came over as illegal and were granted asylum when Reagan was president. Guess which way they vote? I know many who came over legally who also oppose what it going on today.
I’m glad that your folks ultimately found a way to get here legally, and I hope that they found their dreams here. You didn’t say when this was, but you might be aware that currently the wait to enter the USA from Mexico and many nations in Central/South America is literally decades long. When you can’t feed your family, or you’re worried about their safety, that’s not a timeframe that’s workable. We need a process that allows appropriate applicants to get their visas and other paperwork in a reasonable amount of time.
Why do they all have to come to America? Is there no other country they can go to with a shorter and easier immigration process?
Time and the laws have made extremely hard. I migrated with my family at age 8- it was easier to be a refugee then. We need to stop comparing then to now. Second, the hate Latinos are facing now and the inhumanity our the US is shocking sad.
If you happen to have been born during the decades your parents lived here before becoming full-fledged citizens, you should be aware that the Trump regime strongly rejects your claim to birthright citizenship under the Fourteenth Amendment — which, along with a few others, it continues working feverishly to undermine via suspect legalistic chicanery — and would not hesitate to send you packing “back” to either Mexico, some arbitrary sycophantic country, or one of our shiny new concentration camps.
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/uscis-issues-plan-to-fulfill-trump-birthright-citizenship-order
A substantial number of people in this country do NOT welcome all immigrants but rather fear and hate them; the standard terms for such folks include “bigots”, “xenophobes”, and (per polls) “typical Republicans”. Thanks to them, in the year 2025 to live in Amerika is to live in perpetual terror … or ignorance. Good luck!
Perhaps you should move to Canada.
Regrettably, thanks to the tireless efforts of Donald Donald and his multitude of easy marks, much of the rest of the world loathes Americans these days, so that’s probably not feasible, for one thing. You could give it a shot, though, and let us know how it goes.
At least in Canada they take birthright citizenship seriously.
To all the virtue signallers here:
I’m a first generation immigrant. Came here legally with $80 and a change of clothes. I worked hard, 7 days a week, doing all sorts of menial jobs and studied at night. I now live on UWS. Whoever came here and worked hard all succeeded. But a lot of people came solely for welfare and still live on it 30 years later.
It is appalling to watch how hordes of illegals cross the border and get free hotels and prepaid cards for no reason whatsoever. Most of this people came here for dole and will stay on it for good. You, virtue signallers, should support legal hard working immigrants, but you are so out of touch, that you don’t see the difference, we are all the same to you.
Amazingly the lazybags and cheaters get most of the support. Shame.
And please stop citing nonsense about Statue of Liberty and your great grandparents. I have the first hand experience and know how to be an immigrant in this country. What happened during the Biden era is a slap in the face to all of us, hard-working immigrants.
Personally, I’d rather signal — and practice, and foster — virtue rather than vice. Maybe that consigns me to the minority around here….
If someone wanted to come solely for welfare, they could go to Europe
What a lame response. You can’t just jump a border to come to Europe.
Besides you have to be a real refugee, fleeing from war in your country, and not an economic one.
You can fly to Europe. And that’s exactly how the majority of folks who are here illegally got here: they hopped on a plane to the USA and just never left.
How, exactly? Should they swim the Atlantic?
Do you not realize that most undocumented people get to this country on foot after physically grueling journeys of many weeks & months? Have you ever imagined how difficult your life would have to be in order to make walking (likely with children) hundreds if not thousands of miles with nothing but the clothes in your back to a place where you know the government will send you back home as soon as it can a SAFER alternative?
Most undocumented people come here legally then run out of status and have trouble adjusting status. Not all of them are illegally crossing the border. Many are, but not all.
Europe has its own illegal immigration issues. obviously it’s all about geography.
the people coming here from central and south america, the carribean . . . come here because it’s much closer and easier to get there than to europe.
Ask the store owners wife how much they are paying per hour for the people without paperwork.
Are they paying payroll tax, workers compensation, etc.
If they are paying the employees in cash, they are certainly not making FICA contributions. Rather than ICE, it might be high time for the IRS and the NYS Dept of Taxation and Finance to swing by.
Gosh I wonder how much they were underpaying their undocumented staff per hour?
Maybe Jubilee should pay an actual living wage and then they wouldn’t need illegal labor.
This “living wage” you speak of will not be paid by Jubilee. It will be paid by Jubilee’s customers in the form of higher prices.
Even the most successful grocers have razor thin margins. If you reduce these margins something has to give.
Liberals are all in favor of higher wages but then complain when prices go up.
It is called harboring fugitives, PERIOD. One of 2 things were happening, either they were being paid off the books or they were using false IDs. Both are illegal and the store probably should be charge/fined also. This is nothing but modern day slavery. HYPOCRITES
Americans will take the jobs if you pay them more.
And Americans won’t pay the prices they’ll need to charge. Simple economics.
How much inflation are Americans willing to tolerate? How many Americans see working at a supermarket as beneath them and want more opportunities than this? If Americans take these jobs, the way it is going to shake out is that we are going to have less opportunities for upward mobility and a lot of people are going to be going to grad school only to work at McDonalds or be an MTA bus operator if they are lucky.
Clearly they are being targeted bc the bldg removed the Trump name. Those buildings should never have been built – early capitulation to trump & the West Side highway exit should never have been changed for it. Reap what you sow, and then wring your hands about collateral damage. Shame on you.
Yes it was so much better as an abandoned train yard instead of a vibrant park with a pier and a restaurant and multiple playgrounds.
I agree. One can hate our President (elected twice) but he built up and improved the west side with his developments. I find the staunch virtue signaling of this comment hilarious.
Ifs about being authorized to work in the US. If you are not a citizen you need documentation that provides eligibility to work. Your article says to be here and that is not what the I-9 process is abt. There are many different Visas that can be obtained for non-citizens. The store has that option. Or they can hire people who are authorized. Usually when employers go the route of hiring illegal workers its to save on money and pay them lower rates. Which is exploitive. The more we condone workarounds for illegal immigrants the more this problem won’t ever get solved. We need more workers in certain industries and they should be processed legally so they can fully participate in our economy. I don’t feel sorry for this grocery store. They were breaking the law.
THIS IS DISGUSTING! Leave Jubilee and AMERICA alone! These are human beings that are working for a living! STOP ALREADY!
Always important to remember that anyone can comment here – even people who don’t live in New York.
I have been shopping at Jubilee since I moved to the neighborhood in 2020. It is indeed a very friendly establishment. I am sorry for the hardship both the store and their employees (and indirectly their customers!) are feeling right now. Thinking of you all.
I have an immigrant story from the 1960’s: I was dating a guy from Greece who was here illegally—he actually did “jump ship”! In this order, ICE caught him, we got married, we hired an immigration lawyer, and he became a U.S. citizen. He worked long hours, started a business, and our three children have all been very successful.
I’ve known a lot of illegal immigrants in my life, and I think that if they have a job and don’t have a criminal record, that they should be allowed to pursue a path to citizenship. Full stop.
I am shocked at the comments here! How could so many WSR readers be Republicans living in NYC??? I’m guessing they’re not and that they are just internet trolls… That said, This is not a Republican Or Democratic issue and the problem started long before Biden or any political blame entered into the conversation. This all started when Ellis Island closed because people stared walking across boarders and flying into the country instead of coming by ship! The United States needs full on immigration reform and if congress would stop placing blame and get off their asses do something this might just be a non-issue!
I too have shopped at Jubilee supermarket for years. The staff is incredibly helpful and friendly. Prices, like every supermarket in the area… Some items are fairly priced and some items are expensive.
Yes… There are Republicans who live on the UWS…… This has nothing to do with the removal of the Trump name back in 2016/17…
An employer is responsible for having correct I 9 forms filled out by their employees and have them provide valid SSN, ID, etc… that’s the law…
Does make you wonder why a number of employees didn’t show up for work the following day 🤔.
Hopefully Jubilee supermarket can find suitable replacements and their business can get back to normal 🙏🤞.
I own a grocery store on the UWS, and I employ almost exclusively illegal immigrants. And why not? It’s a no-brainer. I’ve gotten rich by doing it! First, I pay them $8/hr under the table, instead of the NY minimum wage of $16+. I personally pocket the difference, which has added up to a huge sum over the years. Second, because my workers are undocumented, I don’t pay employer FICA taxes like Social Security & Medicare. Let Uncle Sam suck that up. Lastly, I pay no benefits, like healthcare. I tell my workers if they get sick or hurt, just go to the ER! Let the greedy hospitals, NY taxpayers, and citizens who actually pay for health insurance subsidize my staff. I keep the money I’m saving!
It’s great, and I want to thank all the commenters in this section who are encouraging and endorsing my actions by praising the hiring of illegal immigrants. You’ve help make me quite wealthy!
I endorse this message. Signed DJT.
I doubt this will be approved. My last two weren’t. I’ve read some really hateful comments in this article that are posted. Current monitor is certainly being selective in approvals. lol
The reality is that if these workers were here legally they would have nothing to fear. I work in a large midtown food pantry and it has been my experience that very few of the astounding numbers of “newly arrived” are asylum seekers. Most are economic migrants who simply saw a totally unsecured border and entered. The stores that hire these folks are further breaking the law.
it’s hard to believe that some of these comments are from upper west siders.
I value the diversity in this neighborhood and that includes people who have less liberal viewpoints. I don’t think having an UWS address requires acceptance of open borders or tolerance for illegal immigration.
I know. Some of them are literally suggesting that (wage) slavery is OK if it benefits them, or that people breaking the law should be left alone to break the law in peace. Can you believe it…
Yup. I think this is a flood of disinformation. Another way to attack genuine free speech
Posting on a local news blog is not what the framers had in mind when they developed the concept of protected free speech.
Comments you don’t agree with are still free speech.
I am no Trumper. I think the whole ICE disappearing people thing is fascist. But hang on here. This story, as I read it, was _not_ an ICE raid. These were not masked thugs. This was a standard I-9 audit by paper pushers. If we want to solve the border crisis, if we want to stop illegal immigration without violence this is exactly how you can do it. If employers followed the law, there will be no work for undocumented people. This would raise labor costs tremendously. Industries like agriculture and hospitality and construction would suffer. We need real immigration reform. The status quo is unacceptable. Undocumented immigrants are doing jobs Americans won’t do ….but don’t leave out the critical part: at below-market wages. We are all complicit, whether it’s our grocery stores or nannies or whatever. We are running a big part of our economy on the backs of undocumented immigrants. If you think Jubilee was paying them minimum wage and paying the mandated payroll taxes and workers comp, etc, then I have a bridge to sell you. Wake up, neighbors, and smell the exploitation.
Yes. And then when something happens to them where they can work there is zero safety net in place because of their illegal immigrant status. Even the comments above about hospitals writing off care that is provided. They aren’t absorbing the loss. It gets priced into what is charged to those who can pay. Its why the emergency rooms are so packed that people can’t get the care they need. Look how much is being spent on the hotels? I spoke to someone in Hoboken who said many delivery workers who are being housed in Manhattan hotels store their ebikes in Hoboken by the Path and work there all day because less restrictions. Imagine what other purpose these hotels could serve? We keep talking about working on farms, NYC doesnt have farms. Housing is less costly by farms.
When I came by as I often do and saw the sign and none of the people I know were there I was quite sad.
If any of the workers I knew happen to see this, I wish to thank you and say how much I appreciated all of you. I hope you and your family’s are healthy and safe.
Tommy
What I never understand is why the West Side Rag lets some people post many times and others, like me, can’t. Am I the only who gets edited out here?
Probably because many of your comments are mean and nasty.
Maybe it’s because your comments are usually caustic and screeching.
Nope. I’ve had 2 responses censored Finally had one allowed.
I think this is kind of disgraceful. Those people who work at Jubilee are hardworking, polite, helpful and obviously grateful to have those jobs. How many of you have relatives, kids, friends who would take those positions? Everyone here is here because someone in the their family tree emigrated here. We are the ones who are going to suffer, as hard working immigrants flee or are deported. if they working there, they are paying taxes, as opposed to immigrants who are working under the table (How many of you have housekeepers you pay pay cash only to clean your home?). if you haven’t seen it, watch “A Day Without A Mexican”, an oh-so-true satire about L.A. and the loss of their immigrant workforce.
This insane effort to purge the country of immigrants is completely out of hand, just like the flooding into the country of refugees was. One bad policy doesn’t balance another bad policy.