US immigration agents eat breakfast and compliment chef before arresting workers

Two Michigan immigration agents settled down to a breakfast of waffles, bacon and eggs on Wednesday morning and complimented the chef - before raiding the kitchen arresting three staff members.

The plain-clothed operatives finished their meals at Sava's Restaurant in Ann Arbor before arresting the three workers on suspicion of being in the US illegally.

The details of the unusual immigration bust were given by restaurant owner Sava Lelcaj, as reported by Michigan Live.

Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed that three arrests had been made at the restaurant, situated near Michigan University's main campus, but would not comment on whether the agents ate breakfast beforehand.

However, ICE public affairs officer Rachael Yong Yow did acknowledge to the newspaper that its agents utilise "various techniques".

Owner Lelcaj claimed she had pieced together the chain of events by speaking to staff members and viewing CCTV footage.

"It's scary and everyone is shaken up by it," she told WJBK.

She said the agents had dined at the bar, giving them a clear view of the cooks and washers working in the kitchen before making their move.

Three staff members were arrested and detained. Another, chef Carlos Rivera-Ochoa, was briefly handcuffed before he was able to produce a green card and was released.

ICE claim that two of the men arrested, Sergio Cardenas Rubio and Jesus Ortiz Hernandez, entered the US illegally at an unknown date and location.

They claim the third, Mohamed Souman, entered legally but should have departed in accordance with his visa.

Rubio and Souman remained in custody on Thursday afternoon. Hernandez has been released pending an immigration hearing.

The agents are reported to have been searching for a "person of interest" who was not at the restaurant.