As federal immigration sweeps continue unabated across Southern California, a palpable climate of fear is gripping local communities. Top officials, spiritual leaders, and business owners express growing alarm over how these actions are driving more individuals underground and altering the very fabric of city life. Once-vibrant immigrant hubs such as MacArthur Park, the Garment District, downtown’s produce market, and areas of the Eastside have experienced a significant decline in foot traffic over the past week, with some businesses forced to shutter their doors.
Social media platforms are inundated with videos depicting immigration agents patrolling shopping centers, markets, and neighborhood streets, as well as capturing federal agents conducting arrests at swap meets, car washes, and various local businesses. Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez voiced his distress regarding the frequency of these raids, highlighting the deep panic they have instilled among his predominantly Latino parishioners. “People are staying home from Mass and work; parks and stores are empty, the streets in many neighborhoods are silent,” Gomez lamented in an opinion piece for Angelus, a local Catholic news outlet. “Families are staying behind locked doors, out of fear. ... This situation is not worthy of a great nation.”
At the 7th Street Produce Market on a recent Wednesday morning, a place typically bustling with customers filling plastic bags with fresh produce, far fewer people strolled among the shops. The usually crowded parking lot was unusually empty, with several shops closed for business. “Right now, with the immigration raids and everything, no one is here,” remarked a security guard who preferred to remain anonymous.
In the nearby Garment District, which has been the epicenter of recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, the streets were eerily quiet, save for a few customers peering into stores. Local shop owners reported that business had plummeted since the raids began. “It’s affecting everything; it’s affecting all of us,” said Eva Ibrahim, 48, who owns a shop specializing in dresses and suits. “A lot of people don’t want to come for fear they’ll get nabbed.”
Not far away, a new quinceañera and bridal shop remained quiet, with owner Vilma (who declined to provide her last name) noting that the atmosphere has been tense since the raids commenced. “Everyone is scared,” she said, indicating the closed shops in the area. “There are a lot of people that just don’t want to come out.” The full economic ramifications of these immigration sweeps remain challenging to quantify, but city and county officials are raising alarms about the potential extensive impact — particularly if the increased enforcement persists.
L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis recently initiated a study to evaluate how the immigration blitz has affected the local economy, emphasizing the deep-seated fear preventing many immigrants from leaving their homes. “They are terrorized,” Solis stated. “You don’t see them.”
In a recent visit to Boyle Heights’ historic Mariachi Plaza, Mayor Karen Bass noted the shocking desolation. “The uncertainty that continues has a profound economic impact,” she remarked, likening the empty streets to those observed during the COVID pandemic. Archbishop Gomez, in his Angelus essay, questioned the military’s controversial role in Los Angeles and criticized the White House for undermining the nation’s ideals of being a “beacon of hope for those seeking freedom and refuge from oppression.”
The situation escalated as an additional 2,000 National Guard members were activated to join the existing 3,000 already in the region, despite opposition from state and local leaders. Confusion and stress about the immigration raids are felt throughout California, compounded by mixed messages from the Trump administration regarding its immigration policy.
As ICE’s presence grows, so does the opposition. In Pico Rivera, protests erupted following a series of arrests by federal agents. City leaders expressed concerns about “warrantless stops” and operations that seemingly target specific communities. During a City Council meeting in Santa Ana, community members advocated for stronger policies to uphold the city’s status as a sanctuary city — a designation that limits cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
In Pomona, activists gathered outside a hotel believed to be housing ICE agents, while similar demonstrations have occurred near Los Angeles International Airport and Pasadena. An interfaith group organized a prayer walk through downtown L.A. in support of family unity, stating, “Walking as public witness, we will unite in prayer, nonviolence, and unwavering solidarity with our immigrant neighbors.”
Many locals are struggling to make ends meet amidst the ongoing turmoil. On Santee Street in downtown, Jessica Flores chopped onions at her food truck as she awaited customers. “I was left without people, and I still have to pay my bills and rent,” Flores stated, noting the significant drop in foot traffic. “It’s sad.”
At a nearby shop, a worker who preferred to remain anonymous expressed her worries about being targeted by immigration officials. She shared that her hours and pay have been cut due to the downturn. “It’s a risk to come to work; it’s a risk not to come,” she said, reflecting the anxiety that pervades the community. By late Wednesday morning, not a single customer had visited her store, illustrating the dire impact of the immigration raids on local businesses and livelihoods.
