Aug 28, 2026 · 26 min
ICE raids squeeze Latino businesses as trade uncertainty spreads
The ongoing cost of ICE raids on Latino entreprenuers
The episode connects immigration enforcement and shifting trade rules to the everyday financial decisions shaping small businesses and regional economies.
- 1ICE raids are reducing foot traffic, sales, staffing and financial stability for Latino-owned businesses in Houston and Los Angeles.
- 2Tariff uncertainty forced a camping-chair company to halt production, cut jobs and relocate manufacturing while rules kept changing.
- 3Canada’s rebound, markets’ response to Kevin Warsh and Tulsa’s Route 66 revival show economies adapting unevenly to disruption.
Don't miss
The episode’s clearest human-scale moment is the account of Latino-owned businesses losing customers, workers and financial stability as raids spread fear.
The brief
Kevin Warsh’s Jackson Hole speech offered markets a “trail map” on inflation, rates, financial conditions and AI, but its hawkish tone raised questions about future guidance.
Catherine Rampell examines why Wall Street initially trusted Treasury Secretary Bessent and Warsh, and why growing unease with both could complicate economic policy.
Canada’s economy rebounded after a year of stagnation tied to U.S. tariff threats, helped by investment, consumer spending and efforts to diversify exports.
True Places co-founder Ben Nepler describes layoffs, halted production and a move from China to Cambodia as changing tariffs made long-term planning nearly impossible.
In Houston and Los Angeles, immigration raids and fear are cutting foot traffic, sales and staffing at Latino-owned businesses, exposing the human cost of enforcement.
Tulsa’s Buck Adams Cosmic Curios turns Route 66 nostalgia into a business revival, using roadside attractions and memorable experiences to draw travelers downtown.
Kevin Maxwell Warsh
Catherine RampellListen to the full episode and explore every guest, topic, and moment on PodLume.