Full announcement from Defensa Communitaria below:

Asheville, NC - With a total disregard to the holiday spirit and in contradiction to public statements, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials raided the Shogun Buffet and Hibachi Grill on Brevard Road yesterday, arresting twelve employees.

"We are alarmed by yesterday’s raid at the Shogun Buffet and are gravely concerned for the incarcerated workers and their families, who now face the bitter possibility of indefinite separation from loved ones this holiday season," said members of Defensa Comunitaria in a written statement.

Although the Obama administration has publicly declared its intention to focus immigration enforcement resources only on individuals who pose a threat to public safety, yesterday's raid is proof that ICE continues to detain and deport hard-working men and women and continues to systematically attack families and terrorize community members through work place raids.

"We believe that the holiday season is a time to spend with family members, not separate families," continued the statement written by concerned community members and family members of Shogun employees. "These raids should have no place in Asheville. Intimidation and harassment of immigrant workers does not make our city more secure. We are not safer when hard-working community members are torn from their families in the name of homeland security."

Defensa Comunitaria calls on President Obama, the Department of Homeland Security, and our local governing officials to respect these workers’ rights and put an end to a failed immigration enforcement policy that separates families and destroys communities.

Donations are being accepted to help the family members. Please send checks to: COLA, 34 Wall Street, Suite 402, Asheville, NC 28801 and write "Shogun Buffet Raid Response" in the memo. All money received will go directly to the support the families during this crisis.