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Celebrated Roxbury restaurant might close after manager arrested by ICE

“This sudden separation has been incredibly traumatic for our family, and we are doing our best to hold things together without the person who has always been an anchor in our lives.”

Suya Joint, seen in a 2012 file photo, was initially in Roslindale. Kayana Szymczak for The Boston Globe, file

June 24, 2025

3 minutes to read

An acclaimed Boston restaurant is facing an uncertain future after its manager was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement earlier this month, the owner announced.

Paul Dama, manager of Suya Joint in Roxbury, was stopped and taken into custody by ICE while on his way to church, his sister and the restaurant’s owner and chef Cecelia Lizotte wrote on the business’s website.

He is being held at the Strafford County Jail in Dover, New Hampshire, ICE’s online inmate tracker shows.

“The trauma of this separation is unbearable,” a statement on the restaurant’s website reads. “Paul is experiencing deep emotional distress in detention, and our Suya Joint family is suffering beyond words. As a tight-knit team and family business, we’ve always leaned on each other through every challenge. Now, being forced apart like this is tearing through the heart of our home and community.”

Lizotte told Eater her brother, who has a pending asylum case, was detained on June 15.

“He has not been given a clear explanation for his detention,” a statement on the restaurant’s website reads. “Paul still does not know the official charges brought against him.”

A request for comment from ICE was not immediately returned Tuesday night.

Lizotte, who immigrated to the U.S. from Nigeria and became a citizen, told Eater her brother’s asylum case has not been denied or approved.

A GoFundMe page has been started to help support legal fees for pursuing Dama’s release from federal custody. The restaurant is also sending 20 percent of all its jollof rice sales to pay for his legal expenses.

In a statement on the West African restaurant’s website, Lizotte said her brother being taken into custody has “shaken” her family to the core.

“I am currently navigating both emotional and legal challenges surrounding his detention,” she wrote. “Because of this, I am taking time to reflect and reassess what comes next for Suya Joint.”

Lizotte said that while the business isn’t closing “at this time” she is “seriously considering” what is best for the team and her family going forward.

She promised transparency for her customers and supporters as she weighs next steps.

“Suya Joint has always been rooted in love, culture, and community,” she wrote. “Every dish we serve is more than food — it’s a story, a connection, and a piece of our heritage. Your continued support means the world to me and has carried us through many highs and lows.”

Suya Joint, which has locations in Boston’s Nubian Square in Roxbury and in Providence, Rhode Island, recently won a Best of Boston award. Lizotte was named a James Beard semifinalist this year for best chef in the northeast.

On the family’s GoFundMe page and the restaurant website, Dama is described as being a “vital” part of the business in both Boston and Providence.

“His work ethic, calm nature, and strong moral compass help define the culture of our business … This sudden separation has been incredibly traumatic for our family, and we are doing our best to hold things together without the person who has always been an anchor in our lives,” the GoFundMe page reads. “Paul is a peaceful, faithful, and hardworking man who gives everything he can to those around him. His absence is deeply felt, not just by his family, but by our Suya Joint team and the communities he serves.”

Lizotte told Eater a hearing for her brother’s case is set for Thursday.

Last week, President Donald Trump directed federal immigration authorities to pause arrests at farms, restaurants, and hotels as detention efforts ramped up around certain industries across the country. Tom Homan, the White House border czar, has repeatedly said ICE will be sent into communities and workplaces in “sanctuary” jurisdictions.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.