8 cited protesting Chipotle firings in Minn.
Police have cited eight people protesting the firings of undocumented workers at Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants in Minnesota.
Sgt. William Palmer says the protesters were given misdemeanor citations for trespassing after chaining themselves together inside a Chipotle restaurant in downtown Minneapolis Thursday.
Denver-based Chipotle began the firings in December. The company employs 1,200 in Minnesota but would not say how many workers have been fired.
Chipotle says U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had asked the company for all documents provided by its Minnesota restaurant workers. Chipotle says ICE denied the company's request for 90 days to resolve discrepancies.
Chipotle calls it "a heartbreaking situation," but says the company "must follow the law."
An ICE spokesman says due to Department of Homeland Security privacy policy, ICE does not discuss specific cases.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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