ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Your favorite Hispanic restaurant in St. Louis might be closing for a week starting Tuesday as form of protest.
Over three dozen Hispanic restaurants in the Greater St. Louis-area are shutting their doors for a week, protesting the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants under President Donald Trump.
One of the first restaurants to sign as a part of the 'A Week Without Immigrants' protest is La Tejana Taqueria in Maryland Heights.
"It started because I saw a community being scared of going out because people are targeting the color of our skin," said Antonio Garcia, owner of La Tejana Taqueria. "I had to do something."
Garcia says they have seen an outpouring of support ahead of the protest.
"People have come to us crying, and I'm talking Americans, white Americans," said Garcia. "They're saying 'this is not right that they are targeting you or your community.'"
Garcia says he will be fine without a week's worth of revenue after being in business for nearly two decades, but admires those who might struggle.
"They don't have the same means as I do," said Garcia. "It's hard for them, but those are the people I admire the most, that don't have much, but still want to put something in it."
Garcia is a citizen of the United States but shares he fears for others in the Latino community.
"Even if they have papers, they might not speak English and speak the language," said Garcia. "They're scared and I fear more for them than I fear for myself."
Garcia says they hope people takeaway from this protest that not all Hispanics are here illegally or are criminals and not to judge them by the color of their skin.
"I want people to see that we're humans like they are," said Garcia. "We're Americans too."