More than two dozen Twin Cities restaurants planned to close today as part of the nationwide “Day Without Immigrants” strike protesting President Donald Trump’s immigration policy.

RELATED: Protesters rally, restaurants close for ‘Day Without Immigrants’

The owners of El Burrito Mercado in St. Paul say they plan to join the grassroots campaign aimed at showing the economic influence of immigrants. The campaign encourages immigrants to stay home, close their businesses and refrain from dining out and making purchases on Feb. 16.

In support of our immigrant customers, community, employees, and in honor of our immigrant parents Tomas & Maria Silva… Posted by EL BURRITO MERCADO on Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Among the St. Paul restaurants closing: El Burrito Mercado, Boca Chica Restaurant & Taco House, La Loma Tamales and Black Sheep Pizza. Blue Plate Restaurant Co. also closed shop, including Bottle Rocket Groveland Tap and Highland Grill in St. Paul; The Freehouse, Mercury Dining Room & Rail, The Lowry, Longfellow Grill in Minneapolis; Edina Grill in Edina; and 3 Squares in Maple Grove.

El Burrito Mercado co-owner Analita Silva said local community members are just starting to talk about whether to participate, and she expects more restaurants and businesses will be added to the list, including from outside of the Latino community.

“Yes, it was started by Latinos and primarily the Mexican community,” she said, “but it’s about all immigrants in this country.”

Maya Santamaria also plans to close her El Nuevo Rodeo restaurant Thursday. The spot on Lake Street in Minneapolis will be closed during restaurant hours, then reopen at 9 p.m. for a planned Jamaican reggae DJ night.

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2 of 3 victims ID’d in Cottage Grove plane crash; search continues in water-filled quarry “It’s his grand opening. I wouldn’t want to sabotage his grand opening like that,” said Santamaria, adding that employees who want to strike that day may still do so. “We’ll leave (working that night) optional for people.”

Santamaria said the decision to close was important to her.

“If we can make a statement about what this country would be like without immigrants, we think it would be an important message to send,” she said. “Unless you’re 100 percent Native American, all of us have an immigrant background. That’s something we should bring out that day. … It’s a peaceful movement. It’s an economic boycott.”

A march also will be part of the day’s events with participants gathering at 10:30 a.m. at the Mexican Consulate on East Seventh Street in St. Paul and marching to the Minnesota state Capitol.

El Burrito Mercado staged another “Day Without Immigrants” boycott in May 2006, when it and other businesses on St. Paul’s West Side and elsewhere closed in support of a job and economic boycott.

Thursday’s event follows on the heels of another strike protesting Trump’s executive order on immigration. On Monday, a “Day Without Latinos” march was held in Milwaukee, in which 30,000 protesters participated and 150 businesses closed, according to the Milwaukee Business Journal.

In addition to El Nuevo Rodeo in Minneapolis, the Lake Street Council, an advocacy group for Lake Street Minneapolis businesses, said almost two dozen businesses would be closed today, including World Street Kitchen and Milkjam Creamery, Salsa a la Salsa and Los Ocampo.

Bilingual Child Care & Centro de Education early-childhood Spanish immersion in Roseville plans to partially close Thursday, according to CEO Leah Retamozo. A gathering is planned with staff and families at 10 a.m. in Roseville’s Lexington Park.