Aurora's Hispanic Businesses Face Tough Times Amid Immigration Crackdown

In Aurora, Hispanic business owners are struggling to keep their doors open. The reason? A recent surge in immigration enforcement actions. These actions have made customers and employees scared to leave their homes. This fear is hitting businesses hard. Nancy Martinez, who owns a home decor boutique, has seen her sales drop. She used to have a steady stream of customers. Now, she's lucky if she gets half of her usual sales. She's not alone. Other business owners in Aurora are reporting similar problems. The Trump administration has been cracking down on immigration. This has led to an increase in federal immigration enforcement agents in the area. Business owners say this has made their customers and employees too scared to come out. Some say it's even worse than the pandemic. The Department of Homeland Security says it's focusing on immigrants who are in the country illegally and have a criminal background. But business owners say the crackdown is affecting everyone. They say people are scared to leave their homes, even if they're not in the country illegally. Business owners are asking for help. They want elected officials to do something about the situation. They're also asking for grants or interest-free loans to help them stay afloat. Some are even suggesting expanded work visas as a way to help. The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce helped organize a roundtable meeting. At the meeting, business owners shared their struggles. They also came up with ideas on how to help. One idea was to get more people to support Hispanic businesses. Another was to display signs telling immigration enforcement agents they're not allowed in without a warrant. Aurora is a city with a large Hispanic population. It's also a city with a lot of immigrant-owned businesses. These businesses are an important part of the community. But with the current immigration crackdown, they're struggling to survive.