Fear of deportation is crippling Los Angeles businesses so badly, unions are demanding moratorium on rent
Several unions are calling on the Los Angeles City Council to vote for a rent moratorium on the basis that deportation operations have severely shut down business activity.
The community groups say that businesses have been crippled by the loss of workers as well as consumers who are fearing detainment from Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
'Fear has taken a toll on our society and our local economy.'
On Tuesday, representatives of the Los Angeles Tenants Union held a press conference with the Coalition of Labor Union Employees and the SEIU to demand the rent moratorium.
"We know that many tenants will not be able to pay their rent come July 1," said Kenia Alcocer of LATU, who said she is also an illegal alien.
"Why? Because this militarization of our communities, this occupation of our community, this terrorizing of our communities have closed down businesses, have taken away street vendors, have separated families — and then people cannot pay their rent," she added. "They have barely the minimum to survive."
In a statement on social media, President Donald Trump accused officials in Los Angeles and other cities of being the "Democrat Power Center" that uses "Illegal Aliens to expand their Voter Base, cheat in Elections, and grow the Welfare State, robbing good paying Jobs and Benefits from Hardworking American Citizens."
One Los Angeles resident who identified himself only as a "concerned community member" told KCAL-TV that the ICE operations had hurt businesses.
"Our businesses are struggling. Entrepreneurship is at a standstill," the man said. "Fear has taken a toll on our society and our local economy."
KCAL said L.A. Mayor Karen Bass did not respond to a request for comment.
Daniel Yukelson of the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles says the moratorium will hurt rental property owners.
"Over 85% of rental property owners in the city of Los Angeles are independent moms and pops who, for the most part, are already struggling to pay their bills," he told KABC-TV. "I understand that people are very scared, and rental property owners are very sympathetic to that. But as I said, you know, property owners are very dependent on receiving timely rent payments just to make ends meet."
Democrats and other critics of the president's increased deportation operations have opposed those efforts in the streets and in the courtrooms, with some success.
"These Radical Left Democrats are sick of mind, hate our Country, and actually want to destroy our Inner Cities — And they are doing a good job of it!" said Trump on Truth Social.
Blaze News has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security as well as the Department of Housing and Urban Development, but neither responded in time for publishing.
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