Business owners in East San Jose are facing severe revenue losses and diminished foot traffic due to lingering fears from a prior ICE operation. Even though no actual ICE activity has occurred since January, the uncertainty and misinformation within the immigrant community have kept customers away. Latino Business Foundation's Jesus Flores highlighted the significant contributions these immigrant-owned businesses make to the local economy, emphasizing that many owners are undocumented and face compounded challenges. Reports indicate a nearly 40% drop in profits for local businesses, impacted by both legitimate ICE fears and false social media reports.
Most of our neighbors sharing supposed immigration enforcement sightings are acting in good faith, but some folks think about getting things on social media quickly before verifying.
We have close to 600 small business owners that are undocumented, so they face double the impact - loss of revenue and fear for their own situation.
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