Worse Than COVID”: LA Small Businesses Reeling From Immigration Raids

Small businesses in Los Angeles, especially those run by or serving immigrant communities, are facing sharp losses following intensified U.S. immigration raids under President Donald Trump’s administration.

Juan Ibarra, who owns a produce stall at the city’s main fresh food market, said his business has plummeted since ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) began targeting nearby locations. What used to be a busy marketplace now looks like a ghost town, as many undocumented workers and customers are too afraid to venture out.

“I’m lucky if I make $300 a day now. Before this, it was $2,000,” Ibarra said. “It’s like COVID all over again.”

The crackdown has triggered widespread fear in Hispanic neighborhoods. Pedro Jimenez, who’s run a Mexican restaurant for over two decades, said he’s now earning $7,000 less weekly and is closing his doors early due to lack of customers.

In response to the public backlash, the Trump administration has reportedly shifted ICE’s focus away from hospitality and agricultural sectors. However, damage to small businesses is already widespread.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has begun assessing the economic toll, with Chair Hilda Solis stating, “Families are too scared to go to work or support local businesses.”

Meanwhile, protests against the raids led President Trump to deploy the National Guard and U.S. Marines to the city, sparking further tension with California officials.

Experts warn that the broad and indiscriminate nature of recent raids is harming key sectors of the local economy, especially in California, where immigrants make up a third of the workforce and 40% of entrepreneurs.

For vendors like Luis, a Guatemalan hotdog seller, staying home feels like the only option. “I need to work to survive, but most of the time I just stay indoors,” he said.