Latino-owned businesses across the Portland metro area are reporting significant drops in customer traffic as heightened U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity fuels fear among immigrant communities. According to reporting from KGW, longtime local business owner Isabell Mendoza of Su Casa Super Mercado said she has never witnessed the level of anxiety currently gripping her customers.

Su Casa Super Mercado, located in Hillsboro’s 10th Avenue corridor, has long served as a cultural and commercial anchor for Latino families. Mendoza, whose family has operated the market for decades, previously described the neighborhood as a hub of tightly knit community life, offering essential goods and Spanish-language services. That longstanding stability has eroded as reports of ICE sightings and arrests have spread across the region. City of Hillsboro documentation highlights Su Casa as one of the area’s oldest Latino-owned markets, underscoring its role as a trusted community fixture.

Broader reporting from Oregon media shows similar fallout throughout Washington County and beyond. In recent months, increased ICE presence has prompted some Latino residents to avoid public spaces entirely, leading to steep revenue declines for culturally specific businesses. Several shops and restaurants have implemented new safety measures, such as keeping doors locked, posting legal rights information, and monitoring their surroundings for perceived threats. These steps, described in coverage by OPB and other outlets, reflect the tension many business owners now navigate as they attempt to maintain operations amid a climate of fear.

While federal immigration enforcement activity varies across jurisdictions, its local economic effects are being acutely felt in predominantly Latino neighborhoods. For small businesses built on community trust and regular foot traffic, even temporary dips in customer confidence can have lasting consequences.

Why This Matters

For communities in Southwest Washington and the lower Columbia region, similar demographic and economic patterns mean that shifts in enforcement activity across the Portland metro area often ripple northward. Local markets, restaurants, and service providers in Cowlitz County that rely on immigrant communities may face comparable vulnerabilities should enforcement operations expand or public fear intensify. Understanding the experiences of nearby Oregon businesses can help local stakeholders anticipate economic disruptions, support affected residents, and evaluate how policy decisions in neighboring jurisdictions shape community stability on both sides of the Columbia River.

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