Sales Drop as ICE Fears Keep Latino Shoppers at Home

Isabel Aguilar sells herbs, dried chilies, and ceramic products from Mexico at the Houston Farmers Market. Those who come to the market, which is in a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood, these days are just browsing, she said. "People don't want to spend because, obviously out of fear, they prefer to keep their money in case there will be deportations," Aguilar said. The 47-year-old, who doesn't have legal residency, has made changes, too, no longer going to places such as Walmart that have a high police presence. Manuel Marchant, 34, an IT manager in Davie, Florida, stays home at night. He and his wife no longer dine at nice restaurants, which they had done twice a week. Despite being a naturalized US citizen, he doesn't go out without his passport and citizenship paperwork. "I'm worried if I'm stopped," said Marchant. That fear is hitting retailers, restaurants, and producers of consumer goods, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Not only are the Trump administration's ICE raids and deportations of immigrants keeping Latinos at home, but inflation and job losses in fields such as construction are leaving many households with less money to spend. Businesses in Southern states with large Hispanic populations have been hit especially hard. Corporations are acknowledging the issue: Colgate-Palmolive, Modelo brewer Constellation Brands, and restaurant chains including Wingstop and El Pollo Loco are among the companies that told investors recently that their sales are being affected. Walgreens had a 10.5 percentage-point decline in Hispanic shoppers in the first quarter, Home Depot an 8.7-point drop, and Dollar General a 6.1-point falloff, according to a market research report.

Individual stores are feeling the pinch. White House aide Stephen Miller has told ICE to sweep Home Depot and 7-Eleven stores, and convenience store owners have said they regularly see agents gathered in their parking lots, scaring away customers. Parents send their US-born children out to pick up essentials, the owners said. Sales at the Let's Go Market in Cleveland, Texas, haven't bounced back after dropping by one-third in February. "I think it's the fear," the owner said.

• Coca-Cola is trying to win back Hispanic customers after a drop in sales it blames partly on false social media rumors, per the Journal.

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