CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Foot traffic is down, and emotions are running high across the Coastal Bend as immigration crackdowns ripple through the local economy. Restaurant owners and staff say the fear is not just political—it's deeply personal and financial.
At El Nuevo San Blas on the West Side of Corpus Christi, waitress Laura Valle sees the effects every day.
"It's even very calm, we don't have much staff and honestly, we're not selling much,” said Valle.
Regulars aren’t showing up as often. Dining rooms are quieter. For Valle, who relies heavily on daily tips to make ends meet, it’s becoming more difficult to get by.
"What we earn in the day is basically our paycheck,” she said.
Valle said the atmosphere in the community is tense, and that fear is keeping people home—and away from restaurants.
"We've heard some have stopped working because of the same situation, because of the fear of going outside,” said Valle.
Kelsey Erickson Streufert, Chief Public Affairs Officer for the Texas Restaurant Association, confirms this isn't just a local issue—restaurants across Texas are seeing the same trend.
"There's just a concern that ICE is going to show up, and that is understandably very scary to folks, especially in South Texas where we have a large Latino population,” said Streufert.
She also highlighted the economic ripple effect of a slowing restaurant industry. According to the association, every dollar spent in a Texas restaurant generates $1.99 for the state economy.
"Yes we need to secure the border and make sure that people are following the law, but we also need to recognize that these are essential jobs, and that if those jobs are filled, that's really going to benefit everyone across Texas,” she said.
Several other business owners in the area, who declined to go on camera, expressed similar concerns. Still, many say they’ll keep showing up—hoping their customers will, too.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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