Immigration crackdown impact on local Latino-owned businesses

Latino business owners told WRAL News that fear and uncertainty following a nationwide crackdown in immigration enforcement are keeping some families out of public spaces, leaving small businesses struggling to survive. This story was written by Oriana Torre, a senior graduating journalism student at the University of Florida, participating in the CBC-UNC News Media Multiplatform Fellowship.
Posted 3/22/2026, 5:39:37 PM Updated 3/22/2026, 6:00:09 PM

I'LL HAVE MORE ON THAT IN A

FEW MINUTES.

>> AT LEAST WE DON'T HAVE TO

DEAL WITH TOO MUCH RAIN.

THANK YOU, MEGAN. FOR A NORTH

CAROLINA MOTHER OPENING A

BUSINESS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A

NEW BEGINNING. INSTEAD, SHE

SAYS A CLIMATE OF FEAR

SURROUNDING IMMIGRATION

ENFORCEMENT HAS AFFECTED HER

JOURNEY WRAL'S ORIANA SPOKE

TO HER AND JOINS US LIVE IN

DOWNTOWN RALEIGH, HOW ARE THE

CRACKDOWNS IMPACTING HER?

>> THAT'S TRUE DATA. SHE EAST

LARRY AND I SPENT SOME TIME

TALKING TO IMMIGRANT ADVOCATES

HERE IN RALEIGH AND DURHAM.

THEY TELL ME FAMILIES AND

BUSINESSES ARE STILL BEING

PIPED. THE VICE CHIEF IN

IMMIGRATION THAT ROLL OUT

MONTHS AGO.

>> SHE'S A SINGLE MOTHER.

SHE SAID BUSINESS OWNER

BEATRICE PASS QUEST IS ALSO AN

IMMIGRANT AND SURPRISE ME.

MUSK WAS SAYS THE YEAR WAS

KEEPING CUSTOMERS AT HOME FOR A

WHILE. I WAS IN DURHAM.

>> WAS NO PEOPLE. ONE DAY WAS

ONE CUSTOMER ALL DAY LAST YEAR.

MAJOR SHIFTS IN IMMIGRATION

ENFORCEMENT IMPACTED THE

HISPANIC COMMUNITY IN NORTH

CAROLINA. SHE OPEN DOING SOME

OF THOSE CRACKDOWNS.

>> SHE SAYS THOSE CHANGES ARE

STILL AFFECTING HER BUSINESS.

VANCE PICK ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

NOT ONLY ME, BUT TO MANY OTHER

BUSINESS CLOSED. BEATRICE IS

NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO FEELS THE

SUEDE WOULD BE SEATED ONE OR

GET THE STATION. THAT KNOWS

HOW WIDESPREAD THOSE FEELINGS

ARE. WE DID SEE A HUGE SHIFT OF

A LOT OF FEAR. A LOT OF PEOPLE

NOT SHOWING UP TO A PROGRAMS

AND CENTER RESPOND. NO SAYS

THE CHANGES IN IMMIGRATION

POLICY CAN FORCE HIM TO EXPAND

THEIR SERVICES IN AREAS LIKE

LEGAL RESOURCES AND ATTORNEYS

FOR THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE IF

PEOPLE ARE NOT COMING TO US,

THEY'RE STILL MEETING THE

SERVICE. AND SO IF WE CAN GO TO

THEM, THAT'S REALLY A LOT SAFER

FOR EVERYBODY. ACCORDING TO

A WEAPON OR COMMUNITY

ORGANIZATION THAT SURVEY MORE

THAN 1000 LATINOS, IF YOU'RE OF

THE TENSION, HAS LED THEM TO

STAY HOME, AT LEAST 40% OF THEM

SAY THEY ARE AFRAID TO ASK FOR

HELP REPORT ABUSE. BUT

REPUBLICANS SAY RECENT

CRACKDOWNS ARE ABOUT SAFETY.

STATE HOUSE SPEAKER DESTIN HOLD

CLAIM THE R I RESTING THE MOST

DANGEROUS AND VIOLENT

CRIMINALS. DEMOCRATS WILL SAY,

WELL, YOU KNOW, THE

>> ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS DON'T

COMMIT CRIMES THAN ANY HIGHER

RATE THAN CITIZENS. BUT HERE'S

WHAT I KNOW THAT IF THE ILLEGAL

ALIENS WERE NOT IN THIS

COUNTRY, THEY WOULD BE A 0%

COULD FOR SOMEONE LIKE TREES.

WE WORKING HARD, VERY CAR.

SHE SAYS HER PRISON HERE ISN'T

ABOUT COMMITTING CRIME FOR HER.

IT'S ABOUT CONTRIBUTING TO THE

COMMUNITY AND PROVIDING FOR

HER FAMILY.

>> AND THAT'S IMMIGRATION

POLICIES CONTINUE TO SEE IF BUS

WEST SAYS SHE'S THE TOURNAMENT

TO KEEP HER BUSINESS GOING IN.

© WRAL