Beloved South LA Chef Carlos Lool Faces Deportation: Community Rallies to Save Local Culinary Icon

In a development that has left the local community in shock, a well-known Los Angeles chef has been taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and now faces the threat of deportation, jeopardizing both his personal future and that of his thriving restaurant business.

Footage has emerged showing the dramatic moment when Chef Carlos Lool was apprehended by masked ICE agents early on Saturday morning.

Jenna Lawrence, Lool’s business partner and girlfriend, expressed her distress over the situation. “This is heartbreaking. Anyone who has ever had a family member or loved one taken by ICE knows how sad and humiliating it is,” she lamented.

Lawrence recounted the events leading up to Lool’s detention, explaining that they were being tailed by agents as they went about their weekend errands to gather supplies for an upcoming catering event.

“They pulled him out of the car, forced him to the ground, pushed me aside, drew their guns, and then took him away,” she described, still visibly shaken by the incident.

In the Hyde Park community, Chef Carlos is cherished not only as the proprietor of La Granja Rotisserie and Fuego Rotisserie but also as a mentor to many aspiring chefs in South Los Angeles, known for his culinary talent and dedication to nurturing young talent.

He also has a criminal conviction from Connecticut dating back about 30 years – a crime he served time for.

“To think that he’s not gonna be here caring for everything that he dreamed about building in this country is just devastating.”

Lawrence says the investigation started after a former employee reported the restaurant to authorities, claiming there was a gun inside the business – a violation of Lool’s parole.

Lawrence says it was needed for protection.

“We’re in a tough neighborhood. We have been robbed. We constantly have people breaking windows and jumping over the fence.”

Now, with Lool detained and possibly days away from deportation, his employees and family are left wondering what happens next.

“He’s been in this country. His kids are here. It’s just a lot and it’s very overwhelming… and he doesn’t have his clothes, no cell phone, no computer – and we own businesses. We’re just getting deeper and deeper in a hole because he’s being deported.”