In Sunset Park, businesses blame fear of ICE for slowdown

"An over-decade-old butcher shop in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, had to let two workers go, casualties of a business drop-off the workers tie to neighborhood fears over immigration enforcement. The manager of a nearby Ecuadorian restaurant, citing the same fears, reports business losses as well. Vats of unsold chicken soup are now discarded at day's end. The owner of a cellphone repair shop blocks away, serving much the same client base, had to dip into savings to make the rent, according to manager Saeed Shanto."

"In the heart of Sunset Park's Fifth Avenue business district, where Spanish is the norm at mom-and-pop shops and chain stores alike, proprietors are reporting similar business hardship, with many attributing their declines to fears of immigration enforcement. New surveys are putting a finer point on the downturn. A fall survey by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, unveiled during a City Council hearing last week, identified Sunset Park as the Brooklyn neighborhood with the largest percentage of surveyed merchants in the borough reporting losses tied to immigration enforcement."

"Nearly 80% of the Sunset Park businesses surveyed by the chamber reported being impacted by immigration enforcement, tops among six key Brooklyn neighborhoods. Across the borough, nearly 30% of 131 surveyed businesses reported being hurt by immigration enforcement. More than half of Sunset Park's residents are immigrants, mostly from China and Mexico, according to city planning data. The same findings are showing up in Jackson Heights and Corona in Queens, two of the city's most immigrant-rich neighborhoods, where more than 3 in 5 residents are immigrants."

"According to a November survey of the two neighborhoods by the Queens Economic Development Corporation, also shared with the City Council, nearly 80% of the 66 businesses surveyed reported a decrease in sales and foot traffic, with fears of immigration enforc"

An older butcher shop in Sunset Park laid off two workers amid a business downturn linked to neighborhood fears about immigration enforcement. A nearby Ecuadorian restaurant manager reported similar losses, and unsold food items like chicken soup are discarded at day’s end. A cellphone repair shop owner said he had to use savings to cover rent. Many merchants in the Fifth Avenue business district, where Spanish is widely used, describe widespread fear affecting customer activity. A Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce survey found Sunset Park had the highest share of merchants reporting losses tied to immigration enforcement, with nearly 80% affected. City planning data show large immigrant populations in Sunset Park, Jackson Heights, and Corona, and a Queens survey reported widespread decreases in sales and foot traffic tied to these fears.

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