By Prime Path Immigration Law Firm Limited USA, on Immigration Updates
Oscar Garcia Santaella, a Mexican- American restaurateur in Houston, is seeing his business suffer as immigration raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) cause fear among Latino communities. His restaurant, Los Primos, has experienced a steep decline in customers, especially after a recent ICE raid at a nearby apartment complex, has left people too afraid to leave their homes. Some employees have stopped showing up to work due to fear or direct impacts, such as the detention of family members. Garcia says his restaurant’s sales have dropped by 40%, mirroring a nationwide trend affecting other Latino owned businesses amid intensified immigration enforcement.
The broader restaurant industry in Texas and across the U.S. is also facing the effects. The Texas Restaurant Association reports that many businesses are losing staff and struggling to attract job applicants. The undocumented immigrant workforce, which includes millions who pay Texas and contribute significantly to the economy, is being targeted, despite their essential role in food service, agriculture, and construction. Nearly half of America’s foreign-born workforce is Latino, and many undocumented individuals are long term residents and workers who help sustain key industries.
Industry leaders, including the Texas Restaurant Association, are calling for President Trump to implement temporary work permits for undocumented immigrants with established records of work and responsibility. These advocates stress that they are not asking for amnesty or citizenship, but a legal way for immigrants to continue contributing and paying taxes. Garcia, like many others in the industry, rejects negative stereotypes about undocumented workers and emphasizes their honesty, dedication, and importance to both his business and the county’s food economy.
For more information on this, and other immigration matters, contact the attorneys at Prime Path Immigration Law Firm Limited USA today.
Reference:
AFP, Immigration Raids Sapping Business at Texas Eateries, MSN (Sept. 14, 2025), https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/immigration-raids-sapping-business-at-texas-eateries/ar-AA1MuPIL.
