Invisible Losses: How Small Businesses and Communities Adapt to Immigration Raids

This report is based on interviews with 178 Los Angeles small business owners conducted after a wave of ICE raids in 2025. Business leaders reported major revenue losses, workforce shortages driven by fear, and a sharp decline in customer activity as immigrant communities avoided public spaces. At the same time, many small businesses stepped into new roles as trusted community hubs, providing support, information, and resources during a period of crisis.