Chinese restaurant owner arrested on immigration violation charges

Chinese restaurant owner arrested on immigration violation charges

Thursday, Feb 28, 2008 - 05:25 PM Updated: 06:03 PM

By Matt Elofson
E-mail

Authorities arrested the owner of a local Chinese restaurant Thursday on felony immigration violations.
Houston County Sheriff’s deputies who were assisting agents with the Immigration Customs and Enforcement office arrested 31-year-old Hai Chao Liu on Thursday. Liu, of Crescent Drive, Dothan, was arrested around 11 a.m. at his restaurant, Dragon Garden Chinese Buffet on Ross Clark Circle, according to Houston County Sheriff Andy Hughes.
ICE agents took Liu to Mobile on Thursday, and he will be deported back to China in a few days. Liu had already failed to attend an immigration hearing.
“He was basically a fugitive from ICE,” Hughes said. “He had overstayed his tourist visa several years back.”
ICE agents seized his Chinese passport from his residence Thursday morning, Hughes said.
The restaurant did not close, and other relatives will continue to manage and run the restaurant and gift shop. Hughes said deputies are still working on an ongoing investigation into other issues involving Liu.
Hughes encouraged county residents who know anyone who is in the U.S. illegally to report them to the Houston County Sheriff’s Office.
“We have limited powers when it comes to enforcing immigration laws, but we are doing everything we can on the local level to combat illegal immigration,” Hughes said. “We’re especially concerned with illegal immigrants who are involved in criminal activities such as drug trafficking, money laundering and violent crimes.”