A new report found federal immigration raids cost Los Angeles County businesses nearly $3.7 million last summer.
The report, conducted by the L.A. County Economic Development Corporation and ordered by Supervisors Hilda Solis and Janice Hahn, found that most small businesses lost customers, revenue, and workers as fear spread through communities.
Three hundred and eleven individuals participated in a survey. Of those who responded, 82% said they saw negative impacts from the ICE raids, 44% reported losing over half of their revenue, 52% saw reduced revenue daily, and 51% saw a decrease in customer traffic.
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“So I think that is a huge message to the Trump administration,” Hahn told KNX News’ Jon Baid. “We believe that this administration has focused on businesses and the economy, and yet these overaggressive ICE raids have had a direct negative impact on the economy of Los Angeles County, and we knew that that was going to be the case, right?”
The report says immigrants, including those without legal status, generate nearly $254 billion in economic activity in L.A. County, making up about 17 % of the local economy.
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