The always-bustling parking lot at El Burrito Mercado, the Mexican market, restaurant and deli on the corner of Cesar Chavez and State streets on St. Paul’s West Side has been reduced to one entrance.

At that entrance, a man in a neon vest asks customers to limit their time inside.

And at the door, two other men open the door for customers.

This is not the way the business usually operates. Those men are making sure ICE doesn’t enter their establishment.

El Burrito was closed Monday and reopened with these new safety measures in place. On social media, they announced their Monday closure with the following message:

“Our family business, El Burrito Market, was founded in 1979 by our immigrant parents and has grown alongside our community, always welcoming everyone with open arms. Given the current circumstances and ICE’s aggressive and unjust actions against immigrants, we have decided to close on Monday, January 12th in solidarity with our staff, our families and our neighbors, who have been deeply affected by recent violence and injustices.”

The establishment isn’t the only one that has changed its hours or closed altogether after the federal immigration crackdown in the Twin Cities.

A few miles away, newly opened Grande Sunrise Mexican Restaurant has closed indefinitely.

In a social media post, the restaurant said its family and employees were OK, but “the safety and well-being of every person who interacts with our business are our top priority.”

And Boca Chica, which has been feeding St. Paul’s West Side since 1964, closed Monday and Tuesday “to allow our staff to mentally rest and stay safe.”

In Inver Grove Heights, neighbors have donated more than $3,000 to the owners of Don Papi Chulo, which closed temporarily last Thursday and has not yet reopened.

The organizer of the GoFundMe (gofund.me/b13a59f54) said the following on social media: “This is about helping a local family and small business cover basic costs and get through a tough time so they can hopefully reopen and continue serving the community.”

At Homi, a popular Mexican restaurant on University Avenue, business has been limited to takeout only — they’ve closed the dining room.

The news from restaurants isn’t all bad, though. During what is normally a very slow month, Chimborazo, the Ecuadorian restaurant that has St. Paul and Northeast Minneapolis locations, said they have seen record numbers of customers at both locations and asked patrons to be patient as wait times have increased. They’re also operating with their door locked — a team member must unlock it for customers to enter.

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