'A Day without Immigrants' protests play out nationwide

Tapestry is a successful restaurant with a strong reputation. On a typical Thursday night, the place would be packed. But  this night the eatery was closed to make a point about immigrants. When Suvir Saran's employees approached him about missing a day of work for a grass-roots protest intended to highlight the contributions immigrants make to U.S. culture and economy, he said the answer was easy: yes, and he would join them.

"A Day without Immigrants" is playing out in New York and around the country in response to President Trump's Immigration policies. Large groups began rallying around the shared immigrant experience after the president signed an executive order restricting travel from seven majority-Muslim countries. That action is now on hold. But he has also detailed plans to build a wall on the border of Mexico.

Immigrant adults and their children were absent from work and school in many cases Thursday. In solidarity, places like the Blue Ribbon Restaurants have closed a majority of their business. Eataly, an Italian marketplace in Flatiron where people come for imported cheeses and fresh fish, gave employees the option to not work.

In many ways, Saran, who is from New Delhi, India, has built a successful restaurant by honoring America's diversity. He says more than a dozen of his employees are immigrants.