https://finance.yahoo.com/news/threat-immigration-raids-turns-chicago-141826140.html
Threat of immigration raids turns Chicago hub into ghost town
(Bloomberg) — The second busiest retail corridor in Chicago is typically a bustling area dotted with taquerias and Mexican grocery stores in the southwestern part of the city. By Monday afternoon it had turned into a ghost town.
Word had gotten out over the weekend that the city could be the target of potential immigration raids after President Donald Trump took office, spreading anxiety among residents and business owners alike. Trump’s inauguration speech and boasts of cracking down on migrants only heightened the fear, while the frigid weather also kept people indoors.
Foot traffic at the 2-mile stretch of 26th Street in the Little Village neighborhood plunged — by some measures, the decline had hit the 50%-mark, according to Jennifer Aguilar, who heads the local chamber of commerce and spoke to a number of the 400 or so businesses in the area.
“It’s going to be disastrous,” Aguilar said in an interview. “If raids happen and people are too afraid to go out, it’s going to be an impact that’s going to last for years.”
A street in Little Village in Chicago. (Miranda Davis/Bloomberg)
“I was walking the business corridor three days ago on Friday, and I spoke with a street vendor who said their sales were down about 60%,” said Mike Rodriguez, an alderman for the 22nd ward, which includes Little Village. “Business was just down, people were staying home, people were worried about: one the cold, but two, they were fearful of engaging with ICE.”
Threat of immigration raids turns Chicago hub into ghost town
(Bloomberg) — The second busiest retail corridor in Chicago is typically a bustling area dotted with taquerias and Mexican grocery stores in the southwestern part of the city. By Monday afternoon it had turned into a ghost town.
Word had gotten out over the weekend that the city could be the target of potential immigration raids after President Donald Trump took office, spreading anxiety among residents and business owners alike. Trump’s inauguration speech and boasts of cracking down on migrants only heightened the fear, while the frigid weather also kept people indoors.
Foot traffic at the 2-mile stretch of 26th Street in the Little Village neighborhood plunged — by some measures, the decline had hit the 50%-mark, according to Jennifer Aguilar, who heads the local chamber of commerce and spoke to a number of the 400 or so businesses in the area.
“It’s going to be disastrous,” Aguilar said in an interview. “If raids happen and people are too afraid to go out, it’s going to be an impact that’s going to last for years.”
A street in Little Village in Chicago. (Miranda Davis/Bloomberg)
Midwest’s Mexico
Little Village, known as the “Mexico of the Midwest,” is located southwest of Chicago’s main business district. The area brings more tax revenue to City Hall than any other retail stretch other than the Magnificent Mile, the downtown shopping street that features luxury stores including Saks Fifth Avenue, Rolex and Burberry (BRBY.L, BURBY).“I was walking the business corridor three days ago on Friday, and I spoke with a street vendor who said their sales were down about 60%,” said Mike Rodriguez, an alderman for the 22nd ward, which includes Little Village. “Business was just down, people were staying home, people were worried about: one the cold, but two, they were fearful of engaging with ICE.”
but they dont want to talk about that...