Immigration raids shake Los Angeles: businesses suffer, families live in fear

An intensified wave of immigration raids in Los Angeles is disrupting businesses and upending the lives of migrant families. The crackdown, targeting immigrant workers regardless of their legal status, is drawing stark parallels to the economic and social paralysis last seen during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Economic fallout hits immigrant-driven industries

At Hector’s Mariscos, a popular Mexican seafood restaurant in Santa Ana, the empty tables tell a grim story. Manager Lorena Marin, a U.S. citizen, says business has plummeted as fear grips the community. “I haven’t seen it like this since Covid,” she said, after texting regular customers to urge them to visit. Many responded that they were too afraid to leave home due to immigration agents patrolling the area.

The economic impact is rippling across industries heavily reliant on immigrant labor. In California, immigrants make up 62% of the agricultural workforce, 42% of construction workers, and 85% of sewing machine operators in garment factories, according to the American Immigration Council. Nationally, immigrants also account for a significant share of workers in agriculture, construction, and STEM fields.

Luis Pérez, a chef at Michelin-starred Lola Gaspar in Santa Ana, reports a sharp decline in business and growing fear among restaurant employees. “People are scared to come to work,” he said, noting that the raids are creating a labor shortage that could devastate local economies and disrupt the food supply.

Families paralyzed by fear

For migrant families, the raids have brought not only economic hardship but also emotional devastation. Reyna, a restaurant cook living in the U.S. for over 20 years without legal status, said she no longer feels safe leaving her home. “I’m scared to death,” she said, recounting how her husband’s nephew was detained by immigration agents outside their home.

Reyna has put her life on hold, canceling her son’s graduation party and avoiding public spaces. Even her autistic son, a U.S. citizen, has been confined indoors. “The police are taking people away,” she explained to him.

This chilling effect extends beyond undocumented immigrants. U.S. citizens and legal residents who “look a certain way” are avoiding public spaces, according to local business owners. Alexa Vargas, owner of Santa Ana’s Vibes Boutique, said her sales have dropped 30% in recent days. “People are too scared to go out,” she said.

Protests erupt nationwide

The raids have sparked protests in cities across the country, from Chicago to Dallas to El Paso. In Santa Ana, hundreds marched peacefully, holding signs and demanding justice. In El Paso, demonstrators flipped the narrative, declaring that undocumented immigrants are not criminals but integral members of their communities.

Alejandra, a U.S. citizen and University of Texas student, joined the protest to honor her grandparents, who migrated from Ciudad Juárez. “It’s about recognizing the sacrifices that brought us to where we are,” she said.

Meanwhile, dairy farmers and agricultural leaders are warning of broader consequences. John Rosenow, a Wisconsin farmer, said raids are decimating his workforce. “If you want to eat or drink milk, you need immigrant workers,” he said, adding that the jobs are ones “Americans don’t want to do.”

A controversial strategy

Critics argue that the current enforcement strategy prioritizes workers integral to the economy over those with criminal records. Andrew Selee, president of the Migration Policy Institute, called the shift economically damaging. “This strategy will have big implications if raids continue to target people deeply integrated into the labor force,” he said.

The Trump administration’s approach has drawn widespread condemnation. A recent Quinnipiac University poll showed 54% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s immigration policies, despite his emphasis on the issue as a key campaign platform.

In California’s San Joaquin Valley, known as the world’s food basket, melon-grower Joe Del Bosque echoed the sentiment. “They’re going to disrupt the food chain,” he said. “These people are hard workers who come to support their families and ours.”

As fear spreads and businesses falter, the raids are reshaping the immigrant experience in the U.S., turning the promise of opportunity into a landscape of uncertainty and anxiety.