Little Village Businesses Report 60%-70% Sales Drop a Year After 4,500 Detentions
Updated
Updated · WLS-TV · Sep 7
Little Village Businesses Report 60%-70% Sales Drop a Year After 4,500 Detentions
3 articles · Updated · WLS-TV · Sep 7
Summary
Nearly a year after Operation Midway Blitz, Little Village residents and merchants say fear of immigration raids is still depressing foot traffic and daily life in the predominantly Mexican-American neighborhood.
Carniceria y Taqueria Aguascalientes, a 50-year-old business on 26th Street, said sales are down 60% to 70% over the past year as customers stay away because they fear ICE activity.
Three incidents in the past two weeks involved agents chasing people and trying to enter homes, according to the Little Village Community Council, reinforcing anxiety even as the Mexican Independence Day Parade approaches next week.
DHS says the operation detained more than 4,500 undocumented immigrants and targeted violent offenders, but an April 13 letter from ICE's former acting director reportedly said about 80% of those detained had no criminal convictions.