By Jorge Mercado Friday, January 30th, 2026

Businesses across the Central Coast, took a stand on Jan. 30, deciding to close for the day or donate a portion of their proceeds as part of a national protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities.

Some closures included Santa Barbara’s popular Mexican restaurant, Los Agaves, Blackwater, a gift and vintage shop in downtown San Luis Obispo, Len Collective, a jewelry shop in SLO and many more.

There were also many businesses that, while they could not close, chose instead to give back.

Breweries around Santa Barbara, such as Captain Fatty’s and Draughtsmen Aleworks, donated $1 from beer sales to 805UndocuFund, a joint effort of immigrant-serving organizations in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo Counties.

Some gave back in other ways.

Jose Luis Lopez Elizalde, owner of four restaurants, including Downtown Cafe in Oxnard, told the Business Times that his restaurants have been giving food to protestors in an effort to keep them nourished. They are also donating to a local nonprofit that supports and protects immigrants.

He noted how his Oxnard business has been hit the hardest.

Elizalde said that about 80% of his customers are undocumented and because of recent ICE activity, they have been scared to come in. He added that even some of his staff have chosen to skip work on some days, in fear that they would get caught up with federal immigration.

Elizalde is an immigrant himself, migrating to the United States in 1990 from Ensenada, Mexico.

“I came to this country in 1990, and I have worked very hard to give back to my community. This country was made by immigrants and now they want to kick us out. It is very sad,” he said.

A business owner for many years, Elizalde has dreams of expanding and building out more restaurants, but because of the current climate, he is holding back.

“It is hard to invest right now because we don’t know what will happen,” Elizalde said.

A local shop in Carpinteria, Yesenia’s Boutique, has also been hit hard. Since the large-scale ICE enforcement operation that hit Carpinteria last summer, business has been slow, said owner Marta Marquez.

Marquez, whose business has provided surgical masks to Anti-ICE protestors, told the Business Times that businesses have been especially slow the last month, adding that at least five of her regular clients have been abducted by ICE agents.

“It’s really depressing,” Marquez said. “I have clients who call me just to ask if immigration is nearby.”

She said that while her business, which has existed for about 25 years, is still hanging on at the moment, should the current trend continue, she is unsure if it can stay afloat.

“We feel powerless because there is nothing we can do,” she said. “All these years of work just for it to be so slow through no fault of our own.”

Some of the quotes in the story have been translated from Spanish by Executive Editor Jorge Mercado.

email: [email protected]