Small Business Sales Dropped 80% – Immigrant Story from Minnesota

Описание: A Chaska resident shares the voice of an immigrant business owner whose sales dropped 80% as fear spread through the community due to ICE activity.

Monique LaCroix of Chaska, District 4, read a statement from a community member who was too afraid to speak publicly.

The letter describes a family who came to the U.S. seeking safety and opportunity, built a small business, paid taxes for years, and contributed to their community—yet now live in constant fear. The business has lost nearly 80% of its sales as customers stay home and workers are afraid to leave.

The speaker describes children coming home to empty houses, neighbors standing together in the cold to protect each other, and even high school students walking out in solidarity. Despite everything, they still believe in compassion, belonging, and a future without fear.

Monique urges county leaders not to approve any contract that deepens this harm.

TRANSCRIPT:

[0:01] A Voice Too Afraid to Speak
Board chair, commissioners, thank you for the opportunity to share public comments at this meeting. I always appreciate it. My name is Monique Lacroix. I live in Chaska, District 4.

Commissioner Lynch, thank you for our meeting over the phone; I appreciate that.

Today, I'm not going to use my voice. I'm going to use my voice to share a story—the voice of someone who was too afraid to be here in a public space. These are her words:

[0:33] We Are More Than a Label
"We came to this country for the same reason others did: safety, opportunity, and hope. We work hard and follow the rules.

But today, being noticed feels dangerous. When we hear sirens, our hearts race. When someone knocks unexpectedly, time seems to stop.

What hurts the most is knowing we are more than a label. We are not just 'an immigrant' or 'illegal.' We are students, workers, parents, friends, and people contributing to our communities.

Even when the system feels against us, we dream of a future where we don't have to fear being separated from the people we love."

[1:19] Our Business Is Collapsing
"I came to this country young—under 18—undocumented, but determined to build a life through hard work. I followed the rules and laws as best I could and paid taxes year after year, knowing we would never receive the same benefits as others.

I built a small business from nothing, pouring our time, money, and hope into it. But now, because of what is happening today, fear has changed everything.

Our sales have dropped by nearly 80%.

We are afraid to go out, not because we've done anything wrong, but because of how we look and how easily we could be judged or targeted."

[2:07] We Still Believe
"Families are torn apart. Kids come home to empty houses. Lives are changed in an instant. We've seen neighbors protest through the cold Minnesota winter, standing together to protect each other.

Even high school students have walked out of class to support immigrant families. We have heard stories of people carrying passports every day—even US citizens—out of fear of being wrongly stopped or detained.

Still, we keep going. We keep believing. We keep hoping.

We still believe in this country, even when it doesn't believe in us. We believe that one day compassion will be louder than hate and understanding will replace fear. We believe this country will see us not as a threat, but as we truly are: people who belong."

In my words, please do not allow this contract to go through.

Watch the entire meeting:    • Carver County Board of Commissioners -- Bo...  

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#FamiliesInFear #CommunityBelonging #ICEOutOfMN