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MPR News with Angela DavisAuthor: Minnesota Public Radio Language: en Genres: Daily News, News Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Minnesota businesses feeling the strain of immigration enforcement
Thursday, 29 January, 2026
Businesses across Minnesota are feeling the strain as the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown moves into its seventh week.Immigrant-owned businesses — and companies that rely on immigrant workers — have been hit especially hard. Employers say many workers are staying home, worried about being stopped or detained by immigration officers. At the same time, customers are also staying away, as fear and tension ripple through communities following the recent killings of two U.S. citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Good. The result? Short-staffing, reduced hours, lost revenue — and a lot of uncertainty about what comes next. MPR News guest host Chris Farrell looks at how this surge in enforcement is disrupting business as usual and what people can do to support their local shops and restaurants.Guests: R.T. Rybak is the president and CEO of the Minneapolis Foundation, which just announced plans to distribute $3.5 million to businesses hurt by the immigration enforcement surge. He is also a former mayor of Minneapolis. Miguel Hernandez is the owner of Lito's Burritos, with locations on Lake Street in Minneapolis and Richfield. He grew up working in his parents’ Richfield restaurant, El Tejaban Mexican Grill. Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.
