The Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce surveyed regional businesses to assess the impacts of increased immigration enforcement, and according to the early results from 174 respondents, 49.5 percent of business owners reported that their businesses have been directly impacted by recent immigration enforcement activity in the region, and 57.7 percent reported “notable levels of fear and anxiety” among their employees.
Although the results are not yet complete, Chamber of Commerce representatives said that the trend of about half of business being affected by immigration concerns was “consistent across jurisdictions, with very little variance.”
While half of respondents said businesses were “directly impacted,” 16.1 percent said they have been “significantly impacted” by immigration enforcement, and 49 percent reported no impact.
Early survey results also showed that 21 percent of respondents reported employee hours were lost due to the heightened fear and anxiety among staff, with businesses losing anywhere from 10 to 40 hours per week.
“These results showcase that recent immigration enforcement activity has caused notable disruptions to our local economy,” the Chamber of Commerce said in a statement announcing the early survey results. “Businesses depend upon a consistently available workforce, predictable operating conditions, as well as the general well-being of their employees and the community they serve. All members of our community, employees, customers, or neighbors, should be able to go about their daily lives with a basic expectation of dignity and due process. Whatever one’s views on immigration policy, most of us share common goals of safe neighborhoods, thriving local businesses, and a community where families can plan for their future.”
Chamber of Commerce President Kristen Miller compiled a list of immigration resources for businesses on the South Coast to help notify businesses and employees of their legal rights and best practices should they encounter federal immigration enforcement. To view the early results of the survey, visit sbscchamber.com/early-survey-results-on-immigration-enforcement-impacts/.
