BREAKING: Tom Cat Bakery trucks stopped at the dock. #DayWithoutBread pic.twitter.com/XFq45UsQR5 — Brandworkers (@brandworkers) April 21, 2017

Protesters chained themselves to a Tom Cat Bakery delivery truck at 3 a.m. today, in solidarity with more than two dozen immigrant workers facing scrutiny from the Department of Homeland Security. Thirty-one workers received a letter from their employer last month stating that the artisan bakery had been selected for an I-9 immigration audit, and that they had ten days to prove their legal residency in order to keep their jobs, according to a nonprofit that organized today's action. They rallied quickly, protesting outside their Queens workplace and in front of Trump Tower.

Today, April 21st, marks the last day of an audit extension approved by DHS. Restaurants and delis across the city, including the network of Yemeni-run bodegas that organized in opposition to President Trump's travel ban, are withholding bread sales to highlight the workers' plight.

About 200 people also gathered for a rainy rally outside the Long Island City factory at 6:00 a.m. Friday.

Yemenis in solidarity w/ #DayWithoutBread strikers. No community should have to deal w/ fear of being separated from families #NoBanNoWall pic.twitter.com/gqZ08lWXyz — Widad (@WidadIndie) April 21, 2017

"We began organizing to have respect and dignity," said Antonio Perez, 27, who worked for Tom Cat for a decade making burger buns. Perez, who supports his parents in Mexico, said he lost his job as a result of the audit. He anticipates that the job hunt will not be easy.

"Initially we were demanding to stay, but because the company can't keep us on we are demanding fair severance for all the work we have done to lift up Tom Cat over the years," Perez said in Spanish, through a translator. "I know it is going to be difficult finding employment. But no matter what, I am committed to continue to fight with my fellow workers and stay united with them."

The scene at Tom Cat Bakery. People chanting "no borders, no walls! Immigrants, they feed us all!" #DayWithoutBread pic.twitter.com/UHtqrriu35 — Sara Ziff (@saraziff) April 21, 2017

It was not immediately clear how many workers were fired as a result of the audit, though flagged workers walked off of their last scheduled shift in protest today, according to organizers. Tom Cat bakery declined to comment, and ICE spokeswoman Rachael Yong-Yow told Gothamist, "ICE doesn't confirm or deny the existence of ongoing investigations."

NBC reports that workers rejected an initial severance deal, and are also demanding protections for remaining employees in the event of future crackdowns.

According to DNAInfo, that severance package was negotiated by the workers' union, the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers Union. Union President Joyce Alston told the outlet that the severance package included three months of health care coverage, a week of severance for each year worked, and a six month window to resolve their immigration status and return to work. Five workers took the deal, but fifteen did not, Alston said.

The union could not immediately be reached for comment on Friday.

I-9 audits are a rare occurrence in New York City, according to the nonprofit Brandworkers, which has been organizing with Tom Cat since 2011. Buzzfeed reports that the last audit of this scale took place in 2007. About 40 Fresh Direct workers lost their jobs as a result.

An attorney with the New York Immigration Coalition said that raids have historically been more common on Upstate farms.

Gabriel Morales, campaign director at Brandworkers, told Gothamist Friday that the Tom Cat workers believe the audit is President Trump's harsh deportation priorities in action.

"These workers have been very, very clear that the fight at this particular factory is not just about [Tom Cat]," he said. "DHS ICE has been emboldened by Trump's racist rhetoric. They know they're not the last workers to be targeted in this manner. They are actually the first."

ICE did not provide historical state-by-state data on audits, but said that 1,279 took place nationally in 2016, down from an eight-year peak of 3,127 in 2013.

Two men and two women were arrested for chaining themselves to the delivery truck around 4:30 a.m., and were charged with disorderly conduct and obstructing governmental administration, according to the NYPD. Morales confirmed that they were allies, not workers, as arrest puts many immigrants at heightened risk of deportation.

Fines for violating labor laws are not insignificant. According to ICE, they range from $548 to $21,916 per unauthorized worker, depending on the number of previous violations. But enforcement in New York City is notoriously lax. Thousands of undocumented New Yorkers work in the food and hospitality industries.

Perez told Gothamist that he and his fellow Tom Cat workers are planning to participate in a national general labor strike planned for May 1st. "We are calling people to join us and not stay in the shadows," he said.

[Update 4:45 p.m.]: This piece has been updated with additional information about the workers' union and severance package.