ICE Raid Fears Keep Latino-Owned Shops Empty Nearly a Year Later

Close to a year after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) launched a series of harsh raids across Los Angeles, Latino-owned shopping centers remain ghost towns compared to their former bustling selves. Shoppers wary of surprise enforcement actions have drastically cut back, turning what used to be leisurely family outings into quick, off-hours trips for essentials only.

Mall owners and tenants report a persistent chill over business. “They’re afraid there’s going to be a raid and who knows what happens,” said Sandy Sigal, who manages over 110 shopping centers catering to millions of Latino customers. “Even those who are legal worry about getting caught up in this.”

Sales of nonessential items like beauty products and fashion have dropped between 10% and 15%, according to Arturo Sneider, CEO of Primestor Development Inc., which operates malls in heavily Latino neighborhoods. Customers are sticking strictly to groceries and pharmacy visits. Community events once held at these centers, such as job fairs and holiday celebrations, have seen lower attendance, further eroding neighborhood cohesion.

The fear is not unfounded. ICE arrests soared during the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement campaign last year, targeting Democratic-led cities with large Latino populations. While arrests have recently declined and detention numbers have fallen from a peak of roughly 72,000 in January to 58,000 last week, ICE’s budget documents reveal plans to nearly double deportations to 1 million people over the next two fiscal years. The agency has also expanded detention capacity by purchasing 11 warehouses nationwide, aiming to hold about 100,000 detainees daily—far above last year’s average.

These policies come with a hefty price tag: more than $170 billion was allocated to the Department of Homeland Security last year, fueling the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

Business owners say they are powerless to reverse the damage. Emad Dalati, owner of a UPS store in Santa Ana, lamented, “A lot of customers I used to see in the past, I haven’t seen in a long time. They disappeared.”

Raids have been indiscriminate and random, snatching up employees and shoppers alike. One mall janitor, a U.S. citizen with no criminal record, was detained for over a week before his family could locate and secure his release.

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson defended the administration’s approach, stating, “President Trump’s highest priority has always been the deportation of illegal alien criminals who endanger American communities.” But the economic toll on Latino businesses and communities tells a different story—one of fear, disruption, and lasting harm.

Until these raids and threats of enforcement end, Latino shopping centers will continue to suffer, caught in the crosshairs of a brutal immigration crackdown that punishes entire communities rather than just targeting criminals. The message is clear: the Trump administration’s immigration agenda is not just about law enforcement—it is a campaign that chills commerce and fractures neighborhoods.