Chinese restaurant owner arrested on immigration violation charges

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

By Matt Elofson

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,â€