Cathedral City businesses express concern after Friday’s Border Patrol, ICE operations
Kendall Flynn
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – Cathedral City residents and businesses were the first to witness multiple locations of Border Patrol and ICE operations in the city. After one person is known to be detained, locals say they’re seeing a now fearful community.
Local businesses in the Ramon Plaza – a site where videos were shared across social media on Friday of Border Patrol officers running after someone – are concerned. But owners tell News Channel 3, they aren’t just concerned for the community.
They say fear has caused people to stay at home, and it’s reducing visitors and shoppers in the plaza. Maricela Rivera, the owner of Monarca Mexican Restaurant, says she typically sees between 100 to 200 people in her restaurant per day. But on Friday she saw just 10 people, and Saturday was not much better at 15.
“We’ve had maybe an 80 percent drop of patrons, which is unfortunate for us because we’re struggling as it is with this economy,” Rivera said. “And to have that happen to us at this time, it’s heartbreaking.”
Rivera opened Monarca less than a year ago, and says she needs the communities support to stay open. But she noticed other businesses are too scared to keep their doors open, including the cleaners next door who never opened up on Saturday.
Visual Signs and Apparel’s Owner Vanesa Trigueros has even heard the concerns from her clients after Friday’s operations.
“I had clients message me asking me the question if there was immigration here in our plaza,” Trigueros said. “And it’s something I have to be transparent with them.”
Both Rivera and Trigueros witnessed the Border Patrol and ICE operations in their parking lot as a community member ran from officers in front of Monarca.
“I received a phone call from one of our workers stating that ICE was outside and they were chasing people,” Rivera said.
“I can just imagine how many broken homes were created [Friday],” Trigueros said. “How many kids are questioning whether their mom or their dad’s going to come back?”
As the reflect on the operation events, they’re asking the community to continue to support their businesses even in the troubling times.
Stay with News Channel 3 to hear from Monarca Mexican Restaurant and VSA’s owners about their call for community support.