An unsettling quiet enveloped the Fashion District in downtown Los Angeles last Thursday, with numerous storefronts closed and lifeless. The only sound punctuating the silence was the faint thump of a boombox outside a boba shop.
Customers were sparse at the few businesses that remained open. According to several business owners and employees, a WhatsApp screenshot allegedly hinting at impending raids of two large clothing wholesalers spread through the area, igniting panic.
Although the anticipated raids did not occur, the rumors had already set a chilling tone. The Fashion District, still reeling from a federal raid at Ambiance Apparel on June 6 that led to the detention of many individuals, appeared even more desolate than before.
Adnan Akram, owner of I Heart Fashion in Santee Alley, commented, “Nobody knows what’s really happening. Nobody knows where the raids are happening, so people just post things and they create fear. It’s kind of hurting the economy as a whole.”
The aftermath of the Ambiance Apparel raid hit hard, with Akram noting a staggering 50% drop in business activity a mere day later compared to a typical Saturday. Business continued to slump into the following days, creating a stark contrast to the usual hustle found in the area.
Reports from around half a dozen business owners or employees corroborated Akram’s experiences, with many noting sales reductions of approximately 50% in the past week. Some employers have opted to send workers home altogether out of fear, effectively halting operations.
Crystal Torres, behind the counter at Bijoux Bijoux on Santee Street, expressed her concern over the situation. “It’s been super slow. You can see how it is outside. I have bills. I have a kid to support,” she remarked. Torres, whose mother was once undocumented, voiced worries about her community’s well-being.
The Fashion District, a vibrant area comprising more than 100 blocks filled with over 4,000 independent retail and wholesale businesses, has a workforce of more than 15,000 people. Recent data from a report by the Fashion District’s Business Improvement District revealed a sharp decline in foot traffic since the June raid at Ambiance Apparel.
According to the Business Improvement District, visitors to the Fashion District dropped by 33% last Sunday compared to the previous week, while foot traffic in Santee Alley saw a staggering 50% decrease.
Anthony Rodriguez, president and chief executive of the Business Improvement District, encouraged community support: “So many people have been volunteering to help clean up graffiti or pick up trash, but the biggest help is going to be coming out and shopping at these small businesses. You’ll potentially be helping families who might have been victims of the ICE raids.”
With fear pervading the area, business owners are concerned about their financial and physical safety. Rodriguez articulated their anxiety: “They’re scared and they don’t know what this means for them, their businesses, or their families. We’re not a district of big corporations and businesses. We are mom-and-pop shops, mostly immigrant-owned.”
Historically, the fashion industry in Los Angeles gained momentum post-World War II, aided by Hollywood costume designers. Notable American designers emerged at this time, creating iconic pieces that put L.A. on the fashion map, including Marilyn Monroe’s famous white dress in “The Seven Year Itch”.
The 1960s saw the establishment of California Mart, a collection of showrooms and stores that became a significant part of the fashion landscape in downtown L.A., now known as the California Market Center but more akin to a high-end mall today.
Big names like American Apparel and Forever 21 have long maintained a presence in the district. However, Forever 21 recently announced its closure after filing for bankruptcy, while American Apparel faced similar challenges but was reinvented with a new brand, Los Angeles Apparel, which continues to operate within the district.
Ilse Metchek, former president of the California Fashion Assn., estimated that around 80% of workers in the Fashion District are immigrants. Reflecting on her own experiences as a manufacturing owner in the ’80s, she recalled how a change in immigration law under President Reagan granted many undocumented residents a path to citizenship, transforming the atmosphere for workers.
“Before that, when they left my premises, they looked right and left to see if ICE was around, every day, all the time. They lived with that,” Metchek revealed, drawing a parallel to the current climate of fear in the industry.
Immigrants contribute significantly as both the backbone of the fashion workforce and the customers within the district. Jennifer Flotas shared how her husband started his clothing wholesale business in the Fashion District a decade ago when he was undocumented.
Despite now being a citizen, she understands the anxiety of maintaining a business while fearing deportation. Out of precaution, they sent their four staff members home this week. “It’s a scary time. A lot of people are closing their businesses and are not coming back. It’s better to be safe than sorry,” Flotas expressed.
Javier, a garment worker who chose to remain anonymous, described the panic that ensued after news of the Ambiance Apparel raid circulated through various factories. He and many co-workers chose to leave work early that day and have not yet returned.
The factory where Javier works has been closed for an entire week, leaving him uncertain about how he will financially support his family, which includes his wife, daughter, and 9-year-old grandchild. “We are basically caged in,” he lamented.
Despite the Fashion District’s dwindling prominence in L.A.’s economic landscape, economist Christopher Thornberg of Beacon Economics noted that the apparel industry has faced challenges for years due to high operational costs in Los Angeles.
Thornberg acknowledged the complexity of the situation: “The reality is undocumented migrants are just part of our labor force. Obviously, it’s bad for those families, and it’s bad for those businesses, and I don’t think you’re accomplishing much outside of stoking fear and then trying to create political points for yourself.”
On Thursday, the normally vibrant Santee Alley was unusually quiet with only a few customers and mostly closed shops. Jim Hwang, who has operated A Accessory for over two decades, noted dismal business for six consecutive days.
“My opinion is most people work hard. [The federal government] thinks if they have no papers, they are criminals and must be deported. But most people work,” Hwang said.
Malia Lew, a sales associate at Sunday Brunch, a swimsuit wholesaler, shared that she has kept her identification ready at work since the Ambiance Apparel raid, despite being a U.S. citizen.
“We thought we too would be raided, and we heard they were taking whoever,” Lew explained. As she sat ready to lock the door at a moment’s notice, her boss assured her she could close down the store if necessary.
“I will not compromise my safety,” she asserted.
image source from：https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2025-06-14/after-ambiance-apparel-raid-fashion-district-businesses-workers-wait-in-fear
