In the beginning of September, the Trump administration initiated “Operation Midway Blitz” in Illinois and Chicago, a stringent immigration enforcement action by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that has created a pervasive atmosphere of fear in everyday life. Chicago exemplifies the federal government’s contentious and potentially unlawful measures against immigrants and demonstrators alike, now perpetuating in areas such as Portland, Oregon; Charlotte, North Carolina, and Memphis, Tennessee.
Despite the departure of US Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino and DHS personnel from the city (for the time being), the psychological, emotional, and financial distress remains. ICE has specifically focused on Latino and Black neighborhoods like South Shore, Little Village, and Belmont Cragin, resulting in a disproportionate effect on local restaurants and businesses.
Restaurants, bakeries, and grocery stores owned by Latinos are experiencing significantly reduced customer traffic and sales as part of this new normal, with regular customers and staff displaying anxiety over being confronted or detained by masked officials.
Consequently, communities have taken action, from organizing whistle-kit packing events to literally driving ICE agents away to safeguard their neighbors. Others have coordinated fundraising initiatives and ongoing activities, like the Zaragoza restaurant crawl, to aid local businesses in response.
Ripple Effects Throughout the Food Sector
In a widely circulated incident, Alderperson Jessie Fuentes from Chicago’s 26th Ward was detained and removed from Humboldt Park Health hospital by ICE agents on October 3. Surveillance was established in the parking lots of Home Depot and Burlington Coat Factory, along with the commercial areas where establishments like San Juan Bakery, Mi Linda Hacienda, and Taqueria Huentitan have been serving the community for many years.
The rise in raids and intimidation tactics have reverberated through the food industry, according to Fuentes, and the economic ramifications are being felt statewide.
“When fewer individuals are working in our fields to harvest crops for our grocery stores or restaurants, it escalates produce costs,” Fuentes articulates. “Our businesses are beginning to notice the lack of essential staff: cooks, dishwashers, cashiers who are choosing not to come to work due to fears of being detained.”
