Local Mexican supermarket closes Thursday to support national immigration protest

The effects of a national protest, “A Day Without Immigrants,” are beginning to show in the local community.

La Casita Supermarket & Taqueria in Bluffton is closed Thursday, according to a post on the business’ Facebook page and a sign posted to its closed doors.

A flyer posted to the entrance of the supermarket in Spanish roughly translates that the business is closed for the day in connection with “A Day Without Immigrants,” a protest which encourages immigrants of all backgrounds to close businesses, stay home from school or work and abstain from spending Feb. 16 to demonstrate their economic importance to the country.

The note states the supermarket will resume regular business hours Friday and thanks its customers for their understanding and support.

This is the second known business in the area to close for the protest. Little Steps Daycare and Preschool, a bilingual daycare, in Bluffton announced it would not open Thursday.

The daycare posted on its Facebook page Wednesday that it would close Thursday because all staff members are legal immigrants who support the national protest.

“Even though everyone working in Little Steps is legal in this country, we believe it’s imperative to join this movement and protest since there are family relatives and friends being affected by all the raids and it saddened us to see the way ... things are being taken care of,” the announcement said.

Parents who’s children stay at Little Steps responded with outrage on Facebook. Some were upset when they arrived at the daycare Thursday morning and found it closed.

This story was originally published February 16, 2017 at 11:13 AM with the headline "Local Mexican supermarket closes Thursday to support national immigration protest."