Immigration agents demanded employment records from a Minnesota toy shop after a family member of one of its owners criticized their operations.
The owners of Mischief Toy Store in St. Paul have until Wednesday to turn over employee records to the Department of Homeland Security after federal agents hand-delivered a surprise audit notice last week, three hours after co-owner Dan Marshall’s daughter told an ABC News reporter that officers were terrorizing migrants, reported The Minnesota Star Tribune.
“In 27 years as retailers in St Paul, we’ve never been hit with this kind of audit,” Marshall told the newspaper. “We just have five-part time employees, all Minnesota-born, so it’s kind of a waste of their time to be targeting us. We feel very strongly that we were targeted based on the content of Abby’s interview that day.”
DHS is demanding payroll records, tax returns, articles of incorporation and the names of all employees — past and present – within three business days after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents dropped off the audit papers.
Marshall’s daughter Abigail had also told the reporter that Mischief had given away hundreds of whistles to community members to alert neighbors and schools when ICE agents are nearby, and the owners said customers have packed the store since news of the audit spread.
“We sold 250 anti-ICE yard signs in the first three hours that we were open on Saturday,” Marshall said. “I think people reacted to the story and wanted to express their support.”
Mischief’s owners contacted an attorney for help with the audit and they’re also working with the ACLU.
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