Taco Cid in West Columbia insists T-shirts bearing slogan 'How to catch an illegal immigrant' with bait trap are 'witty and comical'

A restaurant in South Carolina has been criticised for printing and selling T-shirts with the slogan "How to catch an illegal immigrant" accompanied by a cartoon drawing of two tacos placed beneath a box trap.

Taco Cid, in West Columbia, insists the T-shirts are a "witty and comical statement" about undocumented migration in the US, but the Mexican restaurant has been accused of racism.

The controversy emerged after a local high school teacher snapped a photo of a Taco Cid employee wearing one of the orange T-shirts. The T-shirt shows one end of a wooden box or crate held aloft by a stick. Two tacos have been placed beneath a box, apparently as bait.

Taco Cid responded to criticism this week with a statement on its website. The writer used capital letters for emphasis.

"Our T-shirts were created as a witty and comical statement regarding ILLEGAL immigrants," the statement said. "There are NO racial nor hate remarks towards any specific ethnic group."

The message on the Taco Cid website appears alongside photographs of an open-mouthed cow and a hearty-looking tostada. For clarity, the statement adds that "Taco Cid and it's [sic] employees are not racist".

"As most tax paying Americans we do believe ILLEGAL immigrants are taxing the system we support and live under, thereby, causing us to work harder and pay more taxes in support of their illegal activities which our government has simply chosen to look the other way.

"Is it racist to disagree with those who are not supporting the American system?"

Taco Cid is closed on Sundays in observance of a day of worship, according to the text. The note ends with a warning to potential restaurant visitors: "If you do not agree with our views on ILLEGAL immigrants, please do not visit our establishment."

An employee at Taco Cid told the Guardian on Tuesday that the T-shirts were available for general sale, priced at $35 plus tax.

"We have some in stock but we are ordering more," she said. Asked if the T-shirts were popular, she said: "Not until the other day."

The employee added that the T-shirts were not official uniform, but that staff have worn the T-shirts on shift. She then put down the phone. Upon calling back, the employee would only respond to the Guardian's queries by saying: "I'm sorry, I can't answer that." She put the phone down without giving her name.

A third call to Taco Cid was answered by a male employee. "I'm sorry, I cannot answer any questions for no newspaper," he said.

Taco Cid's taste in clothing came to light after teacher Nathan Sloan captured an image of an employee wearing one of the shirts and shared it with local activists and media, according to the Columbia Free Times.

Liberal website Think Progress reported that the design of the "racist T-shirts" was similar to a style available on clothing website bewild.com. The "illegal immigrant" T-shirts on that website are available for just $12.99, although tax and shipping increase the price to $21.09.