Small businesses throughout the Twin Cities are focusing on recovery as "Operation Metro Surge," the federal government's crackdown on illegal immigration, winds down.
Gus Parpas owns Christos Greek Restaurant in Minneapolis and tells the WCCO Morning News with Vineeta Sawkar recovery will take time.
"Businesses that have suffered, businesses that have closed along Lake Street, for example, many Hispanic businesses simply couldn't sustain operations," says Parpas.
On Thursday, the Minneapolis City Council will vote on whether to create a $7 million relief fund for small businesses that are losing money during the federal immigration operation.
Democrats in the Minnesota legislature along with Governor Tim Walz are also pushing for a relief package for the state, but that is already facing pushback from Republicans.
"You watched our state leaders, whether it's a mayor or a governor or other elected officials, telling people to boycott businesses on a Friday in January," GOP House Speaker Lisa Demuth said on the WCCO Morning News Wednesday. "Those are choices people make. So to look at a state level bailout for a choice that some businesses made, or a choice that leaders made makes it very difficult."
Parpas says that many of those businesses, especially restaurants where margins are already tight, simply can't sustain operations much longer.
"But the community itself has been absolutely magnificent," Parpas adds. "The support has been very, very strong. They come out and let us know that they're here to support us, that whatever we need, and I know this is happening at so many other small businesses."
A recent report from the City of Minneapolis shows restaurant and small business revenue losses totaled about $81 million in January alone.