Foot traffic has dropped sharply in Chicago’s predominantly Latino community, Little Village, also known as the “Mexico of the Midwest,” according to a Fox 32 Chicago report, as fears of evictions have increased since President Donald Trump took office on Monday.
“They saw less foot traffic, a lot less customers than they usually see,” Jennifer Aguilar, executive director of the Little Village Chamber of Commerce, told Fox 32 about the district. “Weekends are big here in Little Village, and the number of people out this weekend was a lot lower than usual.”
Little Village Considered the second busiest shopping area, Little Village is two miles long and filled with nearly 500 businesses, including shops, restaurants and nightspots in the southwest part of the city.
TRUMP CONTINUES TO GO BAT-TO-BAT WITH SANCTITY CITIES DURING DEPORTATION AS LEGAL IMMIGRATION BEGINS.
Centers in Chicago’s Latino Little Village neighborhood have begun to see small business after Trump promised to crack down on illegal immigration. (Fox 32 Chicago)
According to Michael Rodriguez, alderman in the 22nd Ward, which includes Little Village, the once-bustling community is empty because of the cold. Rodriquez said at the local station that people are afraid of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducting a major raid in the Mexican-American area.
“There’s a lot of fear out there, and we think it has to do with this little thing that’s going on in their area,” Rodriguez said. “The fear is being felt. The fear is being spoken by our citizens. People on the streets are saying that they are afraid that ICE will show up at their door, at their workplaces, at their places of worship or at their schools. . They are afraid of that.
CHICAGO’S MAYOR REPEATS CONTROVERSY THAT IS NOT A TRUMP ADMIN INSTALLATION CHANGE.
While ICE raids are possible under Trump’s new crackdown on illegal immigration, there are no signs of deportations yet, according to Leo Pargo, a community activist who has been monitoring neighborhoods for signs of ICE.
“We’ve been driving around,” Pargo told Fox 32. “We’ve been driving around Little Village, and going through Pilsen, looking for any ICE agents and any possible raids. So far, nothing.”
A sign reading “Don’t Open ICE” is displayed in the window of a corner store in Little Village, Chicago, on the day Trump took office on Monday. (Erin Hooley)
According to the report, since the workers and consumers stay at home, Aguilar said that the coming fear will have an economic impact in the region which is reported to make an income of $ 900 million a year.
“It makes it really hard to stay afloat,” Aguilar said. “Especially right now when it’s just starting. It puts them in a place to worry, like what’s going to happen in the next four years?”
“It’s very sad for anyone who lives here in Chicago who receives help from the city,” Aguilar continued.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PLANS ILLEGAL ARRESTS FOR US ALL ‘ON DAY ONE’
A street vendor sees no customers as shoppers stop shopping in Chicago’s Little Village. (Fox 32 Chicago)
As a holy city for immigrants, Chicago is going head-to-head with Trump after the president promised to crack down on illegal immigration during his inaugural address on Monday: “All illegal immigration will be stopped immediately, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of aliens to the places they came from.”
On Tuesday, Trump’s border governor nominee Tom Homan also said that ICE agents are already being deployed across the country to carry out operations.
Chicago’s Little Village is a predominantly Latino community filled with Mexican-American establishments. (Eric Cox/Dan Fastenberg/Alexandra Sarabia/Core News)
CLICK HERE FOR THE NEWS PROGRAM
Despite the massacre, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson vowed to oppose the president’s plans and confirmed that the city’s law enforcement officers will not participate in enforcing immigration laws under the Illinois Trust Act of 2017.
“Chicago stands strong: no matter what the circumstances, our commitment to protect and support this city remains unwavering,” Johnson wrote in a social media post on Sunday. “We will continue to fight for justice and safety for all who call this place home.”
Source link
