Aug. 13 (UPI) — The owner of a popular Mexican restaurant in Houston said he is facing criticism and death threats for taking a photo with Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who dined there Friday.
El Tiempo Cantina owner Roland Laurenzo posted the photo with Sessions and said it was an “honor” to serve the nation’s top law enforcement official.
“Thank you for allowing us to serve you,” Laurenzo said in a Facebook post with the photo.
Although some congratulated the restaurant, many others quickly criticized Laurenzo for serving Sessions.
“I felt like it was a slap to the community that supports the restaurant and that backs up the restaurant and that works for the restaurant,” Houston resident, Gilma Aguirre told KTRK-TV.
And even though Laurenzo wrote a follow-up Facebook post clarifying that he didn’t agree with Sessions’ policies of temporarily separating families that are caught illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border “or any other practices of the government relative to immigration,” the backlash became so intense that he had to take down all social media accounts for his business.
“In retrospect, it was a mistake because it angered so many people,” Laurenzo told KHOU-TV about posting the photo. “We have gotten so many complaints and comments. And threats, death threats. This has been extremely shocking to our family.”
