Worry over ICE raids weighs on small immigrant-owned Minnesota businesses
Some Minnesota immigrant-owned businesses say sales are down under the new Trump administration.
Manny Gonzalez has owned Manny's Tortas in Minneapolis for 25 years now.
"When I started my business, it was a boom with the Latino communities because we didn't have a Latino market in Minneapolis [in 1999]," Gonzalez said. "It has impacted my business, probably 25%, and you can tell. Sunday, today, St. Patrick's Day, look around, there's nobody here."
Gonzalez says many fear ICE raids and deportation, which are happening in Minnesota.
"[Latinos] are afraid to come out, they're afraid to come and buy stuff, you know?" Gonzalez said.
In the first 50 days of the Trump administration, ICE has made nearly 33,000 enforcement arrests, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
A White House spokesperson said nearly half of those arrested are convicted criminals.
U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar took time on Sunday to chat with several immigrant business owners inside the Midtown Global Market on East Lake Street in Minneapolis.
"It's been fascinating to actually hear from business owners and employees," Omar said.
Omar shared her plan to help minimize fears.
"It's going to be even more important now for us to do programming where people understand where their rights are, to help them understand what's possible and the type of documentation they could take with them," Omar said.
Small businesses are thankful for the support.
"That means a lot. Then we know that people are behind us in the government trying to support us," Gonzalez said.
