Many Latino-owned businesses on Chicago’s Southwest Side are still dealing with the effects of last fall’s Operation Midway Blitz, when federal immigration agents were present in the area. Business owners say they have seen reduced revenue and fewer customers as local residents and workers stayed home out of fear of being detained.
While sales have improved slightly since the operation slowed, they remain lower than usual, according to several business owners. Factors such as cold weather, financial struggles among families, and ongoing concerns about immigration raids contribute to the continued decline in foot traffic. However, it is difficult to attribute the situation to a single cause.
Jaime Groth Searle, founder of the Southwest Collective—a neighborhood business development center serving areas like Archer Heights, West Elsdon, Gage Park, Garfield Ridge, Clearing and West Lawn—said many business owners are left in “limbo.” Groth Searle explained: “To say it’s any one thing is a disservice. It’s very complex, it’s been complex and we’re finally coming to a head with it.”
The uncertainty has left some business owners questioning how long they can continue operating with lower sales or what steps they will take if another large-scale immigration operation occurs in the spring.
Humberto Lopez owns Casa Madera Furniture in Brighton Park. He said he plans to import only half as much merchandise this year because sales have not recovered. The store had seen steady growth before Operation Midway Blitz but experienced a sharp drop last fall that forced him to reduce its size. “I hope people shop local and support local businesses,” Lopez said.
Groth Searle noted that before Operation Midway Blitz disrupted the economy, efforts to help businesses improve operations were already challenging due to owners managing multiple issues at once. She also pointed out that support infrastructure for small Latino- and immigrant-owned businesses is limited and that some owners hesitate to seek assistance due to lack of trust: “There is this thing we never really named and that is, there is no trust. Some businesses don’t take us up on the assistance, even if we’re offering free help. They don’t know who they can trust.”
Many small businesses depend on foot traffic or locations along busy commercial corridors like 26th Street or Archer Avenue. When residents do not feel safe or limit their outings due to safety concerns or enforcement activity, these businesses lose customers.
Lopez said about 90 percent of his customers are Latino from Chicago and surrounding areas—including Indiana—but many stopped visiting during Operation Midway Blitz.
Business owners report their customers—often from immigrant or mixed-status households—are cutting back on spending amid economic uncertainty or saving money in case of emergencies related to immigration enforcement. Some families lost income after a member was detained or stopped working out of fear; others faced legal fees or bonds for detained relatives.
Businesses are recovering at different rates depending on location and community impact. A restaurant owner with shops in Little Village, Garfield Ridge and Brighton Park observed significantly lower business in Little Village during reports of Border Patrol detentions compared with other neighborhoods but declined to be named for safety reasons.
Kevin Amaro from Illinois Workers Alliance said that after most Border Patrol agents left Chicago, local shopping increased somewhat but occasional reports of ICE activity still lead to sudden drops in sales: “It’s not just ICE. I mean, people are just barely getting by. How can you go out shopping?”
Alejandro Vargas owns Mexicolombia restaurant in Brighton Park. On days when ICE presence was reported nearby—even without confirmation—customers stayed away: “As long as I can cover expenses and wages, it’s OK. If I have to start losing money to stay open, that’s a problem,” Vargas said in Spanish.
Sales at Mexicolombia remain slow but better than last fall; however, many business owners worry about future enforcement actions returning.
Groth Searle commented: “It is too soon to tell if things have changed.”
Community groups encourage residents to support local businesses rather than online retailers or national chains. Efforts include hosting events like Lego-building nights or encouraging collaboration among neighboring shops but face challenges given broader economic pressures.
Amaro emphasized the importance of preparing for possible future encounters with federal agents by having clear plans for staff responses and designating contacts for warrant requests: “We want to make sure you practice what staff will say, who’s the designated contact, to request a warrant, have somebody who’s recording.”
He added that some business leaders are reluctant even to post signs requiring judicial warrants for entry by federal agents out of concern it could draw attention.
Groth Searle recommends increasing online visibility through social media profiles and websites while offering options like pay-ahead orders and delivery services: “Whatever you were doing during COVID, you need to continue that,” she said. “Until something happens that people can afford to go outside and feel safe, we’re stuck.”
