ICE Raids Devastate LA’s Santee Alley, Silencing a Thriving Immigrant Business Hub

The vibrant heart of downtown Los Angeles’ Fashion District, known for its tightly packed Santee Alley, has been reduced to a shadow of itself. This narrow corridor, once alive with the chatter of shoppers and the scent of street food, now echoes with silence and fear. The culprit: a series of aggressive Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids that have sent shockwaves through this immigrant- and Latino-owned business enclave.

On June 6, 2025, ICE agents targeted key businesses like Ambiance Apparel, arresting over 40 people in a single swoop. Another raid followed in January 2026, hitting the area near Maple Avenue and 11th Street, a hub for Latino-owned shops and eateries. These raids didn’t just disrupt operations—they shattered the community’s sense of safety.

The fallout has been devastating. According to local reports, some businesses have seen an 80% drop in sales due to a steep decline in foot traffic. Workers and customers alike are too scared to show up, fearing detention or deportation. “The alley right now is not the alley as you know it,” says Kwini Reed, co-owner of Poppy + Rose, a longtime brunch spot near the Flower Market. “Trauma is trauma. When a person has been traumatized, why would you tell them to go back to the area where it happened?”

Reed recalls how the raids compounded challenges already posed by the January wildfires, delivering “another punch to the gut.” Staff have had to scramble to create emergency protocols for potential ICE encounters—a situation no one was prepared for, much like the early days of the pandemic.

Others in the community are too frightened to speak openly, underscoring the climate of fear sweeping through the district. Nayomie Mendoza, who runs Cuernavaca’s Grill with her family, paints a grim picture: “The foot traffic is worse than COVID. Back then, you could put a mask on and go out and do your thing. Now, things are so uncertain that you don’t want to go out because you’re not sure you’ll go home again.”

Mendoza recounts showing Governor Gavin Newsom the restaurant’s near-empty cash register during his visit last July, a stark testament to the economic toll. Many businesses shuttered for days following the January raids, blindsiding owners during a crucial sales period ahead of Valentine’s Day.

This isn’t just about lost revenue—it’s about a community under siege. The raids are a brutal reminder of the Trump-era immigration crackdown’s enduring legacy, one that continues to destabilize immigrant neighborhoods and silence the vibrant cultural and economic life they sustain.

As these businesses struggle to recover, the question remains: how long before the fear and trauma inflicted by these raids permanently alter the fabric of LA’s immigrant communities? For now, Santee Alley stands as a cautionary tale of what happens when enforcement turns into intimidation, and commerce into casualty.