WASHINGTON — Some D.C. restaurants are facing new staffing challenges as federal immigration enforcement ramps up in the city.

Several DC restaurant owners told WUSA9 that over Labor Day weekend, kitchens had to stay closed because workers were too nervous to come in. The fear, they said, stems from the heightened presence of immigration enforcement officers in neighborhoods across the District.

Tony Tomelden, owner of The Pug and president of the D.C. Capitol Chamber of Commerce, described what he’s been hearing from fellow business owners:

“It’s all anecdotal, but … I talked to one fella who did not open his kitchen on Labor Day because his kitchen staff is afraid to leave [the] house.”

Another restaurant owner, who asked not to be named, said two employees with valid work visas were

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