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Lawyer apologizes after viral rant about people speaking Spanish

The lawyer had threatened to call ICE on workers who were speaking Spanish inside a New York City shop.

A lawyer caught on video ranting about Spanish-speaking restaurant workers and threatening to call immigration on them has apologized.

Aaron Schlossberg tweeted out a statement Tuesday to apologize to the people he insulted.

"Seeing myself online opened my eyes - the manner in which I expressed myself is unacceptable and is not the person I am," the statement read.

In the video, which quickly went viral last week, Schlossberg said he would be calling Immigration and Customs Enforcement to have the workers inside a Manhattan restaurant "kicked out of my country." He complained to another restaurant employee "it's America" and "staff should be speaking English."

The video sparked outrage, leading to protests featuring Mariachi bands outside Schlossberg's apartment and former office, and formal complaints filed by two lawmakers.

"What the video did not convey is the real me. I am not racist," Schlossberg declared in his statement.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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