The LA restaurant community hit hardest by ICE raids

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:00]Lately, fear has been lingering in the air in this Los Angeles neighborhood. On a good day, Santee Alley, part of the Fashion District Downtown LA, is filled with color, noise, and high energy. But, in the past year, the area has felt much more muted and at times even deserted.

[00:00:14]It's due, at least in part, to a series of immigration and customs enforcement raids that have left business owners and customers shaken, stunned, and in fear.

[00:00:23]On June 6th, 2025, ICE agents raided well-known businesses like fast fashion shop Ambiance Apparel, resulting in the arrest of more than 40 people from Ambiance alone. The raids sparked local outrage and helped propel months of protests across the city. On January 15th of this year, armed agents once again swarmed the area near Maple Avenue and 11th Street, a corner flush with Latino-owned businesses, to make arrests. In January, the Los Angeles Times reported that some local businesses were seeing up to an 80% decline in sales, mostly due to a major drop in foot traffic as both workers and customers feared being detained or worse, deported. Nearly 5 months later, restaurant owners in and around Santee Alley say that business still hasn't bounced back. Queenie Reed, who co-owns Poppy & Rose, shared with me, "Trauma is trauma. When a person has been traumatized, why would you tell them to go back to the area where it happened?"

[00:01:12]For more on ICE's lasting impact on Santee Alley, you can read my full report at the link in bio.