LA County Supervisors Look to Assess Economic Impacts of Immigration Raids

Amid stepped-up federal immigrant enforcement in the area, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion Tuesday calling for a study of the raids’ economic impact on small businesses.

Intensified raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have prompted daily protests in the streets of downtown Los Angeles and other L.A. County sites that have occasionally turned violent and destructive over the past week. That led President Donald Trump to deploy the California National Guard and the U.S. Marines to the area, over the objections of local elected officials.

According to the motion by Supervisors Hilda Solis and Janice Hahn, the ICE raids have been removing people from workplaces, “leaving their families unaware and waiting for them to return home after a day at work.”

At a news briefing Tuesday morning, Solis said, “These raids are targeted at our immigrant neighbors, including finding people in parking lots, Home Depot, grocery stores, car washes, swap meets, churches and other random places in our communities.”

Solis said the federal government’s escalation sparked the civil unrest, calling it a “man-made” crisis.

The ensuing protests downtown that led to hundreds of people being detained or arrested have also disrupted a local economy that was already finding its footing after the COVID-19 pandemic and January wildfires, Solis said.

She also noted the impacts the disruption could have on wildfire recovery, citing data showing that more than 40% of the construction industry consists of immigrant workers.

“Our immigrant, small businesses are creating jobs and they have been strengthening our communities in the economy,” Solis said. “But now, many of those same immigrants and their families and their workers are deciding to stay home, fearing that a routine trip to the grocery store or even to school could change their lives.”

Solis cited data showing that nearly one in five Angelenos are either undocumented or live with someone who is, and about one-third of L.A. County’s 10 million residents are immigrants.

Immigrants also contribute to the local economy, which is estimated at about $115 billion through taxes and spending power combined, she said.

“At over $960 billion, the GDP of Los Angeles County would rank as the 19th largest economy in the world,” the motion states.

“The Trump Administration’s hard-lined approach to immigration will impact the financial contribution the county provides to the state of California and to the entire United States.”

Solis also stated that the immigration raids have impacted both U.S. citizens and legal immigrants.

Hahn echoed Solis’ comments, saying during the board meeting, “Most undocumented immigrants are excluded from unemployment benefits and other safety nets and the families are left vulnerable.”

Hahn added, “This motion recognizes the fundamental rights and dignity of immigrant workers who have built lives and communities here in our county.”

The board directed the Department of Economic Opportunity to report back to the board in 15 days with an assessment of the economic impacts of federal immigration enforcement in the county.

The report is expected to include a study on small businesses impacted by workforce loss, the impact of property damage and a weeklong nightly downtown curfew and the most affected industrial sectors.

The DEO was also asked to identify supportive services for the businesses including mental health, rental assistance, financial and philanthropic support, and ways to make them available.

The motion included a directive for the DEO, the Office of Immigration Affairs and the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs to develop a rapid-response communication strategy for impacted businesses and workers to access legal aid and support resources.

The DEO was directed to report back to the board on a monthly basis through December.