Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices
How Immigration Raids are Impacting Local Businesses
Clip: 1/30/2025 | 3m 50sVideo has Closed Captions
Many Latino neighborhoods are on edge amid fears of federal immigration raids.
Business owners in Little Village and Back of the Yards are reporting declining sales amid fears of federal immigration raids.
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Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices is a local public television program presented by WTTW
Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices
How Immigration Raids are Impacting Local Businesses
Clip: 1/30/2025 | 3m 50sVideo has Closed Captions
Business owners in Little Village and Back of the Yards are reporting declining sales amid fears of federal immigration raids.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship>> What the neighborhoods are on edge amid increased reports of immigration raids by federal law enforcement agents.
It's sparking fear in communities like Little village in back of the yards.
According to the Chicago Police Department, nearly 100 individuals have been detained by ICE.
However, it remains unclear how many of these individuals had criminal records.
We spoke with business owners in these communities about the impact they are seen.
>> So nobody wants to come out.
They want to be stuck inside van.
They don't even send the kids to school.
And I don't think that's They don't up.
It is a lifelong resident of Little Village.
>> And owner of Jesse's Flowers says sales have plummeted since President Trump took office says it's a drastic change she hasn't seen since the pandemic.
>> I walk on 2016.
I don't see people especially at night.
6 o'clock cops.
Not a lot of people.
>> As fears of I citing spread, Jennifer, a guy lot.
The executive director of the Little Village Chamber of Commerce says they are doing everything possible to mobilize and protect their community.
People expect the Navy branded ice trucks.
>> And now we're seeing that it's all sorts of federal law enforcement showing up in in cars that are have tinted windows and I rented.
So it's just new tactics that are being used that we didn't expect.
>> In the last 2 weeks, the neighborhood's 26 street known as the city's second busiest business corridor has been described as a ghost town.
A situation live says is impacting local business owners.
This is have been sharing that they have been seen drops.
>> In sales from about 50 to 60%, especially during the but weekends, which are the strongest days here 2016, have also been affected.
>> Those can be Lewis is one of the restaurants.
It's the intimate 5 in health field.
Letting them this is one of the owners she says lunchtime is typically their busiest time.
But recently they've only served a handful of customers that from if you So we have on the night of simplest of economy and >> If enough, if it will be the of a fee for paying for Yes, and they want to know kind vehicle.
>> It's a family business she says has been operating in the neighborhood for over 29 years.
>> local men able in for a typical that the name of the little think that one of want to be the CIA about us.
a night the hand I would my list people from back just time.
You something >> In the back of the yards neighborhood, the manager of soup admit goggles.
when we make equal shares the same sentiment off camera, he says, although sales have declined, he's noticed customers are coming in to purchase groceries in bulk to minimize the number of trips to the grocery store.
Now he worries that fear in the community would lead to chaos rather than unity.
It's a sentiment shared by others in the area.
Some of which have called Chicago home for decades.
>> It was for like, oh, we'll just come after the criminals help us out and then we'll leave everybody alone.
But to criminals are just people.
>> Well, may have completely clean records, but just the fact of being here without the documentation is enough to make them a criminal.
And I think that that's what's worrisome.
And that's what puts everybody at risk.
>> Just yesterday, President Trump's press secretary said anyone who enters the country illegally >> is a criminal to clarify being undocumented is not classified as a crime under federal immigration law in the
Chicagoans Share How Immigration Raids Are Affecting Local Families
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: 1/30/2025 | 9m 29s | Some local families are now facing the legal battle of fighting deportation. (9m 29s)
Illinois Nonprofits Concerned About Future of Federal Funding
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: 1/30/2025 | 10m 18s | Local organizations are facing an uncertain future. (10m 18s)
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Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices is a local public television program presented by WTTW