Juan Ibarra stands outside his fruit and vegetable stall in Los Angeles’ central produce market, typically a bustling hub for Hispanic street vendors, restaurateurs, and taco truck operators.
But on the morning of June 16, the market was nearly deserted.
Since Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began immigration raids in the area—starting with a textile factory two blocks away—business at the market has all but vanished. Many workers, particularly undocumented immigrants, are too afraid to leave home. Customers have disappeared, and most of the market’s estimated 300 undocumented workers have stopped showing up.
Ibarra, a U.S.-born citizen of Mexican descent, normally makes around $2,000 a day. Now, he’s lucky to bring in $300. He recently had to discard spoiled produce for the first time since the raids began, costing him $70 per pallet in disposal fees. His monthly rent for the stall is $8,500.
“It’s pretty much a ghost town,” he said. “It’s almost like Covid. People are scared. We can only last so long like this – a couple of months, maybe.”
Ibarra’s experience reflects a broader crisis facing small businesses in Los Angeles and across California. The state’s economy is deeply tied to immigration: one-third of workers are immigrants, and 40% of business owners are foreign-born, according to the American Immigration Council.
Though the Trump administration recently told ICE to pause raids on farms, restaurants, and hotels, the damage is already evident.
Pedro Jimenez, 62, who has operated a Mexican restaurant in a working-class Los Angeles neighborhood for 24 years, said business has plummeted. A U.S. citizen who received amnesty under President Reagan’s 1987 immigration reform, Jimenez said fear of ICE has kept his community indoors.
Revenue has dropped by $7,000 per week, and he’s been forced to close early due to lack of customers. “This is really hurting everybody’s business,” he said. “It’s terrible. It’s worse than Covid.”
The raids have also triggered protests across Los Angeles, prompting President Trump to deploy National Guard troops and U.S. Marines, despite opposition from California Governor Gavin Newsom.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson blamed the disruption on what she called “Democrat riots,” saying these protests—not immigration enforcement—are harming businesses.
However, Andrew Selee, president of the non-partisan Migration Policy Institute, said recent ICE activity has expanded beyond individuals with criminal records to include broad workplace raids. “They are targeting hard-working immigrants who are deeply integrated into American society,” he said. “This kind of broad enforcement causes real disruption to the economy.”
Many immigrants are staying home out of fear. Luis, a 45-year-old hot dog vendor from Guatemala, said he fled the Santa Fe Springs swap meet after hearing ICE agents were nearby. Like many others, he now lives in a state of near-constant fear.
“I have to work to survive,” he said. “But the rest of the time, I stay inside.” Photo by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Department of Homeland Security), Wikimedia commons.
