The Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors revealed days before Christmas that 367 small businesses “economically impacted” by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were awarded grants totaling $1.53 million.
California began ramping up its pushback against the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration in June, prompting Democrats in the state to pursue legal challenges. On Dec. 23, however, the DEO and Los Angeles County Supervisors Chair Hilda L. Solis and Janice Hahn announced a new approach, saying the state would now push back through the Small Business Resiliency Fund (SBRF).
“Small businesses are the heart of our communities and the engine of our local economy. When they face disruption and uncertainty, we must step in quickly to protect them,” said Solis in a press release.
“The Small Business Resiliency Fund is a vital lifeline, giving business owners and their employees the resources they need to recover, rebuild, and continue serving their communities with strength and confidence,” Solis added. “Supporting these businesses isn’t just about dollars—it’s about safeguarding livelihoods, stability, and the future of our local economy.”
According to the press release, Solis and Hahn officially launched the initiative Sept. 29. The motion was first introduced June 17, presenting the fund as a way to support businesses “directly affected by immigration enforcement activities, among other economic resiliency and humanitarian-focused actions.”
The DEO and the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. conducted an early economic analysis, estimating that Los Angeles County lost roughly 11,730 jobs, about $932 million in labor income and an estimated $2.5 billion in economic output from June through December.
Of the more than 11,000 estimated job losses, the DEO and LAEDC said roughly 6,590 occurred during a curfew period in downtown Los Angeles tied to protests and riots, with another 5,140 believed to have occurred elsewhere in the county.
Overall, the analysis estimated about $379 million in fiscal losses to local governments.
At the time of the protests and riots, the buildings in downtown Los Angeles, including federal ones, were littered with graffiti, Waymo cars were lit on fire and police cars were heavily damaged as rioters threw objects at them.
“These ICE raids aren’t targeting dangerous criminals – they are sweeping up workers. On top of the harm they have caused families, they have been devastating to the small businesses that have lost the employees they rely on and whose customers are afraid to leave their homes,” Hahn stated. “The goal of these grants is to help these small businesses survive this onslaught. I continue to call on the federal government to recognize the harm these raids are doing both to people and the economy and to stop them immediately.”
Since it’s launch the SBRF received over 3,400 applications from small businesses throughout the county. Chosen applicants, according to the press release, were “evaluated based on eligibility and prioritized based on several factors, including property damage and location within the curfew zone.”
The SBRF is backed by the County’s Care First Community Investment (CFCI) program. An additional $3.33 million was allocated from the CFCI by the Board of Supervisors, which is expected to support over 650 additional small businesses.
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