Illegal aliens fearful of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids under President Donald Trump are staying inside, reportedly causing foot traffic to drop by 50 percent in a busy Chicago shopping district known as “Mexico of the Midwest.”
Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood dotted with taquerias and Mexican grocery stores “turned into a ghost town” by Monday afternoon, after Trump was sworn into office, according to a report by Bloomberg.
By Tuesday morning, several shops in Little Village, which is also known as the “Mexico of the Midwest,” were closed.
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“Business was just down, people were staying home, people were worried about: one the cold, but two, they were fearful of engaging with ICE,” Mike Rodriguez, an alderman for the 22nd ward, which includes Little Village, told Bloomberg.
Rodriguez added that he was “walking the business corridor three days ago on Friday,” and spoke with a street vendor who told him sales were down about 60 percent.
Word had reportedly gotten out over the weekend that Chicago might be one of the first cities hit with illegal immigration raids following the swearing in of President Trump, sparking alarm among illegal residents.
“We have heard that they are targeting as many as 2,000 people initially in the city of Chicago alone,” Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said on Tuesday.
Trump also declared to enforce U.S. law during his inauguration speech, heightening that fear among illegal aliens right across the country.
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Trump also signed several executive orders on Monday, immediately fulfilling his promises made on the campaign trail.
Some of those included measures to end birthright citizenship to children of illegal migrants, sending troops to seize control of the southern border, and shutting down the Biden-era CBP One immigration app.
“People are afraid. Their lives are uncertain, especially those who have children, those who have fled extreme conditions. Now their lives are once again at risk,” Guerline Jozef, co-founder and executive director of Haitian Bridge Alliance, complained of the U.S. enforcing its own laws.
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram
