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UCLA Report Finds ICE Raids Cost Latino Businesses Millions

Authors say their narrow sample of nine sites likely understates a much larger countywide economic and health toll.

Overview

  • The report, published July 22, 2026, found businesses within a half-mile of nine June 2025 enforcement sites lost 46,000 customer visits and about $3.16 million in revenue in the two weeks after the raids.
  • Researchers matched cellphone foot-traffic data for 989 businesses near the nine sites with surveys and focus groups of 75 Latino entrepreneurs to measure immediate declines and year‑long effects.
  • Many firms reported sharp operational shocks: 68% said they temporarily closed or cut hours and more than 50% said workers missed shifts out of fear of detention.
  • The study documents lasting harms to owners and staff, with about 95% reporting ongoing financial stress and roughly 76% saying the raids damaged their wellbeing through anxiety, panic attacks and other ailments.
  • Authors warn their figures exclude informal vendors and only cover a two‑week window, so countywide losses could be far larger and produce broader ripple effects for local jobs, suppliers and community income circulation.