With coronavirus cases rising and new business restrictions in place, some Sonoran restaurants are turning to courts for protection.

A dozen or so Sonoran restaurants have asked federal judges for the ability to operate beyond the limits of pandemic restrictions. One well-known Hermosillo Restaurant, the burger joint Holy Cow, has already won its request for what's known as an amparo, according to Manuel Lira, vice president of local restaurant industry organization Canirac Hermosillo.

“I’ve spoken with the rest of the owners, and they tell me that even if the amparo was granted to them today, they will continue to operate under the same conditions,” Lira said, referring to the current restrictions on hours of operation and customer capacity.

Pursuing the amparos, he says, was driven more by a desire to avoid the mandated closures seen at the start of the pandemic.