Owner of Restaurant in 'Sorry to Bother You' Arrested, Accused of Illegally Obtaining Citizenship

If you live outside California’s Bay Area, you might’ve seen Senegalese restaurant Bissap Baobab in the indie flick Sorry to Bother You, when ‘Power Caller’ Cash Green meets with his friends to talk about how to deal with an Amazon-ish mega-corporation. But for Oakland residents, the restaurant and its owner, Marco Senghor, have been an essential part of the community for the better part of three decades.

Earlier this week, Senghor posted a terrifying Facebook update, writing that he had been arrested and is facing charges of illegally obtaining his U.S. citizenship. “I am going to plead not guilty and fight these charges,” he wrote. “I’ve hired a top defense attorney to represent me and I look forward to my day in court. The future of the Bissap Baobab Village that we have built together is uncertain, but I am dedicated to preserving it. I will keep you informed as my case moves forward.”

Senghor’s message was shared on Twitter by Boots Riley, the writer and director of Sorry to Bother You, who was shocked by Senghor’s update. “This is terrible. The owner of the Senegalese restaurant from that they [sic] meet at at the end of the movie is being attacked by immigration authorities,” Riley wrote. “He's been a vibrant part of our community for at least 30 years. Probably more.”

Less than a year ago, Senghor purchased the building where Bissap Baobab is located, a $1.6M investment in the neighborhood where he’d lived and worked for the past 20 years. “It’s almost like the place is saying, ‘Yes, Marco. Let’s do it.’ It’s like we’re getting married.” he said at the time. “I’m excited to feel like I’m at home.”

Now, thanks in no small part to the Trump administration, Senghor’s home is in jeopardy. “It’s shocking and unprecedented that the president would target such an upstanding citizen of the community,” Gwyneth Borden, director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, told Mission Local. “It’s been a really trying time for the industry, an industry that’s been dominated by immigrants. The reason why San Francisco’s restaurant industry is so diverse is that people come from all over the world […] This example sends a chilling message to all immigrants around here.”

Borden said that the charges against Senghor “[don’t] make sense,” and that she is considering an appeal to Rep. Nancy Pelosi, to see if she can help. In the meantime, Senghor is welcoming “good wishes, moral encouragement and financial support,” and says he will soon be setting up an account, in case his neighbors want to help with his sure-to-be overwhelming legal fees.

“Long live Bissap Baobab!” he wrote.

Long live Bissap Baobab, indeed.