ICE's presence hits small businesses in Minnesota
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What recent events prompted CEOs in Minnesota to call for de-escalation?
Business is caught in the immigration crackdown. I'm David Brancaccio in Los Angeles. Following deadly shootings by immigration agents in Minnesota, more than 60 CEOs there have now signed and sent a letter calling for federal, state, and local officials to de-escalate. Now, this is a turnabout. Last week here, we had discussed so many Minnesota business leaders staying quiet amid the situation. Among the CEOs who put their names on this new letter, William Brown of 3M, Corey Berry of Best Buy, General Mills' Jeff Harmoning, and Target's incoming chief executive, Michael Fidelke.
How are small businesses in Minnesota reacting to ICE's presence?
Advocates for stricter border enforcement argue the policies over time could mean better jobs for legal workers, but in Minnesota, some businesses have closed or reduced hours, with employees and customers concerned about getting caught up in raids and protests. Kirstie Marone is a correspondent with Minnesota Public Radio, same company as us. She's been reporting from St. Cloud, population 70,000, a city that includes a large Somali-American population. Hi, Kirstie. Hi, David.
What challenges are immigrant-focused businesses facing due to ICE activities?
Thanks for having me. You've been going into businesses facing immigration searches and detentions. What are you hearing?
The owners I spoke to say they're struggling with two problems. First, businesses that cater to immigrants are seeing fewer customers. People are scared to leave their homes and venture out for fear of being stopped and detained by ICE. I stopped in at New York Gyro, a popular restaurant in St. Cloud.
How are business owners adapting their operations in response to ICE raids?
Usually at lunchtime, it's full of hungry customers craving its halal pita sandwiches and kebabs.
But last week... As you can see, very slow, very, very slow, especially for the last couple of weeks.
That's co-owner Hasib Azam. He told me that the recent ICE activity in St. Cloud is scaring people away.
We have a lot of mixed customers, like Mexican, Somali, and white. But right now, most of them are white customers. They come, but not Somali, no Mexican, nothing.
And the other issue for businesses is that some employees are afraid to come to work, even if they are in the U.S. legally.
What impact does the recent ICE activity have on customer behavior in restaurants?
Azam says he and his co-owners are working 12 to 13-hour days just to keep the restaurant going.
13-hour days. Is that sustainable? I mean, not every business could pull those hours off longer term.
That's right. In fact, some have already temporarily closed their doors or reduced hours due to staffing shortages or out of concern for their employees. Restaurants are doing more takeout and delivery orders as fewer customers want to linger for long periods in public places. I visited Star City Mall in St. Cloud. It's a strip mall with several Somali-owned businesses. There's a clinic, a pharmacy, grocery store, several cafes. Dozens of ICE agents clashed with protesters in the mall's parking lot last week. And a few days later, it was noticeably quieter than usual.
How are precious metal prices reflecting investor anxieties?
I met Abde Desani there. He's a Somali-American business owner and also a Democratic candidate for the Minnesota legislature.
I was talking to some of the business people here, and they already see the impact. They see less people showing up to just hang out there, maybe more pickup than sitting down and enjoying their meal or even just socializing with people.
And we're also seeing some businesses adapting the way they operate. So at one restaurant in Minneapolis, the blinds are now drawn and the front door is locked, and a volunteer sits inside to open it for customers.
Minnesota Public Radio reporter Kirstie Marone in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Thank you very much. You're welcome, David. Gold's hit a record high, over $5,100 an ounce now, up 2% today. This means some investors are nervous. Marketplace's Nova Sofo has that.
Prices for precious metals, especially gold, are up because demand is up. Last year, gold prices rose 64%, the most since 1979. Central banks are buying gold as are traders looking to diversify away from the U.S. dollar, which has weakened against other currencies. Part of this has to do with the Federal Reserve's interest rate cuts. It also has to do with the higher tariffs imposed by the Trump administration and global uncertainty around trade policies.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What recent events prompted CEOs in Minnesota to call for de-escalation?
0:01–0:37
2
How are small businesses in Minnesota reacting to ICE's presence?
0:37–1:05
3
What challenges are immigrant-focused businesses facing due to ICE activities?
1:05–1:28
4
How are business owners adapting their operations in response to ICE raids?
1:28–2:05
5
What impact does the recent ICE activity have on customer behavior in restaurants?
2:05–2:55
6
How are precious metal prices reflecting investor anxieties?
2:55–5:22
7
What economic impact is expected from the upcoming Winter Olympics in 2026?
5:22–7:13