The return of federal immigration raids under Operation Midway Blitz has emptied Chicago’s Little Village and severely damaged small businesses that depend on local shoppers and quinceañera trade. The campaign recorded more than 4,200 arrests citywide in under three months and a recent Border Patrol convoy led by Gregory Bovino prompted protests. Shop owners report revenue declines of 80–90%, layoffs and missed rent, while families say detentions have left them afraid to leave their homes. Community groups have organized patrols, whistles and mutual aid to protect neighbors and share information.
Return Of Immigration Raids Empties Chicago’s Little Village, Devastating Quinceañera Businesses And Families
Bystanders film a federal agent in the Little Village neighborhood during a deportation drive, Chicago, Illinois, U.S., November 6, 2025. REUTERS/Jim Vondruska
CHICAGO — The return of federal immigration enforcement has emptied the streets of Little Village, Chicago’s longtime Mexican-American commercial corridor, and left shopkeepers and families reeling.
Operation Midway Blitz And The Convoy
The Department of Homeland Security’s deportation initiative, dubbed “Operation Midway Blitz,” has logged more than 4,200 arrests across Chicago in under three months. This week a large U.S. Border Patrol convoy led by commander Gregory Bovino rolled into Little Village with agents in camouflage — some visibly carrying assault-style rifles — prompting protesters to whistle, jeer and livestream the confrontations.
Economic Toll On Small Businesses
At Estela’s Bridal, a second-generation family shop that specializes in quinceañera ballgowns, owner Allyson Lopez said custom gowns average about $1,000 and can take up to 16 hours to make, with hand-sewn embroidery, rhinestones and finishing touches. Lopez said roughly 90% of her customers stayed away during the first wave of arrests and that the shop failed to make rent this month.
Nearby salon owner Roxana — who declined to give her last name — described half her chairs wrapped in plastic and an 80% drop in revenue since enforcement began. “It’s like those old Western movies where all you see is tumbleweeds blowing in the breeze,” she said, describing emptier streets and plunging sales.
Several store owners reported layoffs and shuttered days. Evelyn Flores, owner of the Alborada quinceañera shop, said she had to lay off seven employees. Party-supply owner Maria Ortiz said some days no customers cross her threshold.
Human Impact
Beyond the financial damage, families say raids have left lasting fear. Fifteen-year-old Kamila said she now leaves her apartment only for school after immigration agents detained her cousin in November while he was on his way to work; he had lived in the U.S. for 18 years without legal status. “I’m scared. We can’t step outside because they might be waiting for us,” she said.
Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, said: “There’s no reason to be afraid of law enforcement, unless you are breaking the law.”
A neighbor described the cousin’s small apartment left as it was — an unmade bed and his cream-colored dog, Peluchin, who now sits at the window waiting for his owner’s return.
Community Resistance And Mutual Aid
Local groups have mobilized to respond. The Little Village Community Council (LVCC) has become an information hub where residents share videos, coordinate school pick-ups and organize neighborhood patrols. LVCC president Baltazar Enriquez helped distribute plastic whistles used citywide to warn neighbors of approaching immigration officers.
Other grassroots efforts include mutual-aid deliveries: neighbors such as 55-year-old Vicky Martinez drop off groceries for those too frightened to leave home. Residents rely on WhatsApp, Facebook and Signal groups to coordinate in real time.
Outlook
Community leaders and business owners say the raids have inflicted both economic and emotional damage: empty storefronts, reduced staff, missed rent payments, and families too afraid to leave home. As enforcement continues, the recovery many had hoped for now looks uncertain.
Reporting by Heather Schlitz; additional reporting by Daniel Cole, Carlos Barria and Emily Schmall. Edited by Emily Schmall and Suzanne Goldenberg.
