Recent images and videos of immigration agents knocking on doors and detaining people have instilled fear in many immigrant communities, and local businesses are feeling the impact.
"Typically our store makes between $1,000 to $2,000, the three days that we're there. Lately we've been selling $200, $300 a day. It's been very, very, slow. Nobody's selling. On Friday ... the neighboring store told us that he only sold $10," said an Escondido marketplace vendor who didn’t want to be identified out of fear.
Vendors have noticed a drop in community attendance because of fear of immigration raids. As a result, small businesses are losing the source of income they rely on.
"A lot of people don't want to spend any savings they have or any extra money they have. They want to try to save as much as possible," the vendor said.
The fear is also affecting nonprofits who help those in need.
Since the pandemic, the nonprofit Lived Experiences has distributed food to people in Oceanside from the back of a truck — no questions asked. But this week, they switched to mobile deliveries to help families that need food, but are scared of being targeted at distribution sites.
"We post up at certain places and ... these places are known. So if we show up there, all these 20, 30, 40, 50 people show up and ICE shows up ... it's not good," said Eduardo Ortega.
He and his brother run the nonprofit.
"My brother had this idea of, 'Let's grab all the food and package it up ... Anybody that needs food, diapers, send us a message.' We'll get a care package going on, and we'll deliver it to a safe location," he said.
They are unsure of how long this will last.
"It's unsettling. It's unfortunate. My people are some of the most hardworking, beautiful people in this world. And they don't deserve what's going on right now," he said.
As federal operations continue, more protests are planned in Escondido and San Diego this weekend.
