Chicago Small Businesses Rise Up In Protest Against Trump’s Deportation Threats

Jaime Gamez posted two flyers on the front door of his restaurant, Big G’s Pizza, in Wrigleyville.

One alerted customers that the restaurant would be closed on Feb. 3 for “A Day Without Immigrants.”

The second flyer elaborated that the business was “built on the values of inclusion and cultural pride,” and believed “in supporting the people who make our community strong.”

Gamez was among several Chicago business owners who closed their doors for a day in protest of President Donald Trump’s sweeping immigration enforcement actions targeting immigrant communities. Trump and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tactics have sparked fear and had a chilling effect on immigrants in the city, with some business owners noticing lower foot traffic and a drop in business.

The “A Day without an Immigrant” movement urged people not to show up for work, school or spend money. Shop owners were urged to close in protest to show solidarity with the immigrant community.

Business owners like Gamez closed their doors in protest while raising awareness of how Trump’s enforcement actions are affecting communities, businesses and the local economy. They say they hope the moves will remind the public and government officials of immigrants’ contributions to the economy.

Situated in an affluent, bustling area of Chicago’s North Side, Gamez saw an opportunity to spark conversations among people who may not face these issues in their own neighborhood.

“It’s just a pizza, but at the end of the day, it’s like a little speed bump in [customers’] their regular routine that they weren’t expecting,” said Gamez.

As the son of immigrants from Guatemala, the fear immigrants are feeling in the wake of heightened immigration enforcement “hit close to home,” said Gamez.

He said his parents worked hard and made sacrifices to afford to raise him in Highland Park and have access to a good education. Now, Gamez said he wants to pay it forward by showing support for the immigrant community and raising awareness about immigration issues in the city.

Gamez said he is finding ways to support and elevate immigrant-owned businesses amid Trump’s enforcement and targeted attacks on immigrant communities.

He’s been sharing donation links for legal support for immigrants and encouraging friends to leave positive reviews for immigrant-owned restaurants they visit. He’s also made it a point to visit and support other immigrant-owned businesses like Taqueria El Asadero in Lincoln Square, which recently received racist phone calls following Trump’s inauguration.  Gamez visited the restaurant with friends and encouraged others to do the same, he said.

It’s a moment to encourage support for business while also raising awareness about the impact that recent deportations are having on immigrant communities, including a dip in sales in small businesses in predominantly immigrant neighborhoods, Gamez said.

In Chicago’s Pilsen and Little Village neighborhoods, some small business owners have reported slower foot traffic and fewer customers in their stores and restaurants following news of intensified deportation efforts in Chicago.

At DonChurro in Pilsen, Mari Molina said sales in her churro shop went down almost 50% the week before Feb. 3.

Business has “gone down significantly because people are scared of coming out,” Molina said.

She said she often sells churros in bulk to street vendors, but only two out of the 14 street vendors came to buy them the week following the inauguration. Molina said she’s been donating to these street vendors to show support, especially since they face limited options because of their age and legal status.

“[I hope] that our people see that just as I have counted on them when they come to buy from me, they see that they can count on this business, with the great brotherhood we have and that solidarity,” said Molina.

Wagner’s Bakery owner Martin Flores also closed his Pilsen business on Feb. 3, saying it was necessary to inform customers, suppliers, and other business owners about immigrants’ roles in the local economy.

“The president thinks he is only harming the immigrant community, specifically Mexicans and Latinos, but in reality, we are all affected,” Flores said.

Flores knew he would take a financial hit closing for the day, but the shutdown was necessary. He hopes his action will inform his non-immigrant-owned suppliers of the impact of deportations and the roles immigrants play in the success of their businesses.

In response to his closure for the day, Flores said several customers came into the bakery thanking him for his support.

On Feb. 3, at least five West Lawn businesses were closed for the day along Pulaski Road within a two-block radius. Two taquerias, a seafood restaurant, a small meat market, and an ice cream shop shut their doors and put up signs expressing solidarity with the immigrant community in Chicago.

“We value the role that immigrants play in our country and empathize with the struggles and fears that immigrants have been facing lately,” said a flyer at the entrance of Paco’s Tacos in West Lawn. “We hope that today shows our country that we work better together, united as a nation.”

Trump’s escalated attacks on immigration and diversity equity inclusion (DEI)policies have also sparked a call for a nationwide boycott known as the Latino Freeze. The movement, which Civil Rights leader Dolores Huerta has supported, calls on Latinos to “hold the line” and stop spending money” at places like Walmart, Target and other corporate businesses that have eliminated DEI policies.

Teresa Cordova, sociologist and director of the Great Cities Institute at the University of Illinois Chicago, said businesses can help movements like this one, which supports immigrant communities, gain more momentum.

The economic activity that’s generated from small business matters, said Cordova. By “disrupting our economy,” people are sending the message that “What affects these [immigrant] families really affects all of us,” she said.

For Gamez, movements like these are important, especially amid the current political climate.

Following his closing of Big G’s, he said regular customers and friends expressed sympathy for the fear many people in the immigrant community are experiencing and asked questions, many of them unfamiliar with the movement.

“At the very least, I hope it was raising awareness of how this is impacting us on an emotional level, but also impacting the economy and see that we’re a very important part of day-to-day operations […] and I’m really proud of it,” said Gamez. “In the U.S., we contribute a lot.”

Aydali Campa is a Report for America corps member and covers environmental justice and immigrant communities for Borderless Magazine. Send her an email at [email protected].