Several area Chinese restaurants were open for business Friday, two days after federal agents closed them for reasons that have not been publicly disclosed.
Patrons returned to China Kitchen and Mongolian Grill on West 28th Avenue in Pine Bluff, Chef Lee’s on Mallard Loop in Pine Bluff across from the Walmart Supercenter, and Kitchen Kung Fu at 8500 Dollarway Road in White Hall.
On Wednesday, Tim Meadows, a resident agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations was present at China Kitchen and said he could not comment due to an ongoing investigation. He referred media to Thomas Byrd, a spokesman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement in New Orleans.
Byrd confirmed that agents were in Pine Bluff but said he could not discuss the nature of their involvement because of the ongoing investigation. Chris Givens, an assistant U.S. Attorney and Public Information Officer for the Eastern District of Arkansas at Little Rock, said Wednesday that the search warrants were sealed and he could provide no information on the nature of the investigation. He also said that no arrests had been made, and that as further information is obtained, it will be released.
On Friday, employees of those restaurants declined to speak with a reporter but took contact information and said they would give it to the owners. As of press time Friday night, none of the restaurants’ owners had contacted the Commercial.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Some patrons who ate at the restaurants on Friday knew about the raids, while others didn’t. The exterior of the businesses on Friday did not give an indication that federal agents had served search warrants.
Robert McKenzie ate at Chef Lee’s restaurant Friday and said he knew about the raids but was not bothered by them. He did not hear anyone mention them while dining, and his experience was uneventful. He is a regular diner at Chef Lee’s.
“I do not know what the problem was,” McKenzie said. “We all have problems now and again.”
Patricia Jackson and her mother Sarah Smith had not heard about the raid. They were surprised to hear the news.
Elsewhere in Pine Bluff, Ieshia Gibson arrived at the China Kitchen with Shamiyah Crain and Kelvin Ginger On Friday afternoon. They had heard about the raid there and drove to the eatery not knowing if it was open.
“I came for the food,” Gibson said, noting that she was “concerned about the raid.”
Ginger said he came to accompany Gibson and Crain but not to eat.
Jettie Jordan emerged from China Kitchen and was surprised to learn about the raid. Nonetheless, she enjoyed her dining experience.
“I do not have any problem with China Kitchen,” Jordan said. “It is very clean. I am not going to stop eating here. … If I had another ten dollars, I would eat there.”
Michael LaBron is a student at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and a native of Jacksonville. He came to China Kitchen on Friday with friends, as he does regularly. He had not heard about the raid and the servers acted like they did on any other occasion, LaBron said.