SW Detroit businesses struggle as immigration anxieties keep people home

Drive down Springwells Street in Southwest Detroit, and you’ll usually find a bustling main street dotted with dozens of Mexican and Latino-owned businesses. But on a recent weeknight, the barbershops, nail salons, restaurants, tiendas and bakeries — typically buzzing with life after long days of work and school — felt eerily empty. 

Threats of aggressive immigration enforcement, a signature promise of President Donald Trump’s administration, have cast a shadow over this predominately immigrant community. Many families are afraid to leave their homes, and businesses are struggling as customers disappear.

Sheila’s Bakery is typically one of the busiest businesses on Springwells. Every morning and evening, Latinos line up to get pan dulce and freshly baked bolillo, a bread that is to Mexicans what French bread is to the French. The custom of going to the panadería is a deeply ingrained cultural tradition. But on this night, workers nearly outnumbered customers. 

Standing by the cash register, manager Ivana Garcia shook her head. “Our clientele has decreased by 75% since all of this started. At this hour, we usually have about 50 customers waiting to pay. Tonight, we have about 10. Look around, it’s empty,” she said. 

While there have been individual arrests, there’s no evidence of widespread immigration raids in Detroit since Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20. But anxiety runs high in this tight-knit community as reports of increased immigration patrols and arrests spread like wildfire. 

“People are really afraid,” Garcia said. 

Over the past week, she’s watched more bread go unsold at the end of each night. 

“About 20% of the bread is left over, and that’s a loss,” Garcia said. “The only way to avoid a loss is to bake less bread, but in producing less bread, we need fewer bakers.” 

Down the street, La Posada — a homestyle eatery where workers gather after long days of labor — also sits empty. The restaurant typically experiences a slowdown during the winter, when landscaping and cement work pause. Juan Romo, who helps run the family business, said this year’s decline feels especially drastic. 

“A large percentage of our regular customers are undocumented workers, and they’re not coming near here due to fear,” Romo said. “Right now, it’s low season for everyone, but this has been a very hard blow.” 

Southwest Detroit is home to about 1,500 small businesses, according to the Southwest Detroit Business Association (SDBA). Latinos play a vital role in Michigan’s economy, not only as entrepreneurs but also as a growing segment of the workforce. The Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce recognizes Latinos as one of the state’s fastest-growing demographic groups, driving economic growth. 

“A significant drop in customers could be devastating to a small business,” said Laura Chavez, president of the SDBA. “Some of the local businesses are having to pivot to provide services to the community.” 

RediMed Pharmacy on West Vernor Highway is one of them. For the past week, Chavez said pharmacists have been filling prescriptions, but few customers have come to pick them up. Fear has kept people inside their homes, Chavez said, prompting the pharmacy to offer home delivery to ensure patients receive their medications. 

At Express Barber Shop on Springwells, rows of empty chairs replaced the usual Friday night rush. Customers once eager for fresh haircuts before the weekend are now silent. 

In the back, former barber Andres Garcia stopped by to check in on his colleagues and offer support. 

“People are afraid to leave their houses, and it’s understandable,” Garcia said. “These arrests are tearing families apart.”