Chicago's Latino Community Seeks Relief After Immigration Raids
The Chamber of Commerce Hispana de Illinois has launched an initiative to help small businesses and neighborhoods affected by immigration raids carried out by federal agents.
The IHCC's Resilient Communities Initiative offers grants ranging from $1,500 to $5,000; "buy local" campaigns to boost businesses in affected areas; and resources such as webinars for entrepreneurs. Small business advisors from the IHCC also provide support to owners and employees.
"We've been working together with many voices in our city and region who are calling for an end to unjust actions and disruption of our immigrant communities," said Jaime di Paulo, executive director of the IHCC.
Grants from the IHCC Foundation will help affected businesses cover immediate expenses. The first donations will be awarded next week during the week of March 2. Anyone can donate to the grant fund.
The "buy local" campaign aims to attract people to affected neighborhoods through events and online campaigns. The first event is scheduled for February 11 in Brighton Park on Archer Avenue, featuring a guided tour of the neighborhood and lunch reservations at Restaurant D' Nuez.
The initiative's resource page also includes upcoming webinars about rights, as well as legal, commercial, and financial tools to support small business owners.
In October, di Paulo stated that ICE raids in Chicago had instilled fear and stifled economic opportunities. "From the perspective of IHCC, conditions for Latinx communities and Latina-owned businesses have worsened since October, as continued threats continue to reduce customer flow, sales, and community participation," he said.
Many businesses were experiencing depressed income and financial uncertainty due to the raids, which had led some vendors and small business owners in these neighborhoods to completely stop working. "The vendors and Latinx-owned small businesses that are essential to the cultural and economic life of these communities have seen a dramatic decline in their revenue, with some closing down completely because of immigration-related threats," he said.
"Less customers create a ripple effect that harms suppliers and distributors."
"This has a devastating impact on local economies. IHCC and other community organizations must remain vigilant in supporting and advocating for these businesses."
In Illinois alone, the Latino population generates over $100 billion in internal revenue, according to the UCLA's Center for the Study of Latinx Health.
"Latin-owned businesses are crucial to the state's economy, creating jobs and strengthening neighborhoods," di Paulo said. "Ensuring that Latina-owned businesses are fully included in economic development is key to long-term growth in the entire state."
The Chamber of Commerce Hispana de Illinois has launched an initiative to help small businesses and neighborhoods affected by immigration raids carried out by federal agents.
The IHCC's Resilient Communities Initiative offers grants ranging from $1,500 to $5,000; "buy local" campaigns to boost businesses in affected areas; and resources such as webinars for entrepreneurs. Small business advisors from the IHCC also provide support to owners and employees.
"We've been working together with many voices in our city and region who are calling for an end to unjust actions and disruption of our immigrant communities," said Jaime di Paulo, executive director of the IHCC.
Grants from the IHCC Foundation will help affected businesses cover immediate expenses. The first donations will be awarded next week during the week of March 2. Anyone can donate to the grant fund.
The "buy local" campaign aims to attract people to affected neighborhoods through events and online campaigns. The first event is scheduled for February 11 in Brighton Park on Archer Avenue, featuring a guided tour of the neighborhood and lunch reservations at Restaurant D' Nuez.
The initiative's resource page also includes upcoming webinars about rights, as well as legal, commercial, and financial tools to support small business owners.
In October, di Paulo stated that ICE raids in Chicago had instilled fear and stifled economic opportunities. "From the perspective of IHCC, conditions for Latinx communities and Latina-owned businesses have worsened since October, as continued threats continue to reduce customer flow, sales, and community participation," he said.
Many businesses were experiencing depressed income and financial uncertainty due to the raids, which had led some vendors and small business owners in these neighborhoods to completely stop working. "The vendors and Latinx-owned small businesses that are essential to the cultural and economic life of these communities have seen a dramatic decline in their revenue, with some closing down completely because of immigration-related threats," he said.
"Less customers create a ripple effect that harms suppliers and distributors."
"This has a devastating impact on local economies. IHCC and other community organizations must remain vigilant in supporting and advocating for these businesses."
In Illinois alone, the Latino population generates over $100 billion in internal revenue, according to the UCLA's Center for the Study of Latinx Health.
"Latin-owned businesses are crucial to the state's economy, creating jobs and strengthening neighborhoods," di Paulo said. "Ensuring that Latina-owned businesses are fully included in economic development is key to long-term growth in the entire state."
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I just hope this initiative helps bring some relief and stability back to those neighborhoods. We should all be supporting our local businesses and communities 
. My friend's cousin owns a small restaurant in Brighton Park, and they're barely getting by. I'm sure they'd love some support, but it's like no one is listening 
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. The Latino population in Illinois generates over $100 billion in revenue – that's a lot of money! But it's not just about the economy; it's about our culture, our traditions, and our very way of life 
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. It's time for some real change, not just words 
but seriously though, have you seen the stats on how much latinx communities contribute to the economy in illinois? $100 billion?! that's insane! 
. as an american living abroad, it's crazy to see how much of an impact these raids have on local communities. i think it's great that the Chamber of Commerce Hispana de Illinois is taking action to support affected businesses and neighborhoods. a $1,500 to $5,000 grant sounds like a decent start, but i wonder what kind of long-term solutions they're planning 
. also, the idea of "buy local" campaigns to boost businesses in affected areas seems pretty basic but could be effective if executed well 
. on a larger note, it's hard not to think about the bigger picture – what can we do as a society to prevent situations like this from happening in the first place? 
So these immigration raids in Chicago have got everyone in a twist... literally! I mean, who needs a reason to be stressed when you've got people with scary suits and badges showing up at your doorstep? 
. We need real policy changes, not just feel-good initiatives