When it comes to immigration, belonging is good business
In San Diego, immigration policy doesn’t feel like a distant debate. It walks into kitchens. It waits at bus stops.
Ask almost any longtime business owner in San Diego, and they’ll have a story: A staff member who stopped showing up. A once-daily customer who no longer visits.
These aren’t stories from the past. They’re happening right now—quietly, painfully, every day.
And they’re accelerating under a recent executive order that expands worksite immigration enforcement and prioritizes raids over reform. This report from the American Immigration Council breaks down what’s unfolding—and why communities across the country, including San Diego, are feeling it in real time.
For many local business owners, this isn’t about sides. It’s about safety. It’s about dignity. It’s about how we show up for our teams when the system doesn’t.
That’s why we talked to members of Business For Good—each one deeply rooted in San Diego’s immigrant community. They’ve seen how policy shows up in real life. In missed paychecks. In closed restaurants. In staff meetings where no one knows what to say, but everyone feels the tension.
These conversations weren’t about politics. They were about people. And they reminded us that in moments like these, local businesses have power: to protect, to advocate, and to stand with the communities that built them.
When policy gets personal, businesses are often caught in the middle. But caught doesn’t mean helpless. So what does action look like when the stakes are high and the system feels impossible?
Rights, responsibilities, and ethical action
Knowing your rights matters. But staying rooted in solidarity matters more.
As Rachel Lozano Castro of the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans (PANA) puts it, “The law is the floor, not the ceiling.” Once employers understand where those legal lines are, they get to choose how they show up beyond them.
This isn’t about compliance checklists. It’s about creating a workplace that protects dignity, not just documents.
Here’s a quick refresher on what businesses are required to do—and what they’re not. (We recommend designating someone on your team as a response lead—someone who knows how to calmly handle enforcement visits.) You can find the full guide here via NILC.
What employers are required to do:
- Allow ICE agents to enter public areas of your business (like the dining area) without a warrant. You can ask to see a warrant and verify it’s signed by a judge.
- Review and respond to Notices of Inspection (NOIs), which may request I-9 forms, but you are legally entitled to 72 hours to respond.
- Maintain proper documentation (like I-9s) for all employees, regardless of status.
What employers are NOT required to do:
- You are NOT required to let ICE into non-public areas (like kitchens, storage rooms, or offices) without a signed judicial warrant.
- You are NOT required to provide employee records on the spot without written notice.
- You are NOT required to speak to ICE or answer questions about your employees’ immigration status.
Rachel puts it simply, “The law might ask about status, but care doesn’t. Whether someone is a citizen, a dreamer, or doing their best to survive—protection shouldn’t hinge on paperwork. Dignity belongs to everyone.”
The most important line item: People
When immigration policies start to shake the ground, people look for solid footing—and often, that’s at their place of employment.
Business owners in the BFG community know this. Mikey Knab talks about how culture isn’t something you write in a handbook—it’s something you live every day through how you treat people, how you pay them, and how you show up when it matters.
Other BFG members add a layer of proactive care by educating their team about their rights and setting aside funds to help with immigration-related emergencies. These actions send a message louder than any slogan: you belong here.
Celebration is a form of resistance—and a powerful one.
Some BFG members keep traditions alive through food, turning kitchens into sanctuaries of memory and identity.
Others, like Rachel at PANA, are designing entirely new blueprints for community with the Global Village: a space that makes culture visible, joy tangible, and belonging intentional.
For longtime business advocates like Mikey, honoring labor means naming it: not as liability, but as legacy. These aren’t extras. They’re essentials.
This meeting could be a movement
Connection makes change possible. When business owners center care, honesty, and shared values within their teams, it opens the door for deeper action in the community.
For many BFG business owners, allyship starts at the staff meeting. There, Mikey says he shares why immigration issues matter to him—and then listens. It’s not about having a script. It’s about creating space where people feel safe to show up fully.
Plenty of BFG members turn belief into action: for their staff, their vendors, their neighborhood. So when communities are hurting, business owners can step up.
Some offer financial help for DACA renewals or immigration fees. Some stand beside neighbors during enforcement check-ins. Others use their networks to advocate for policies that prioritize the well-being of people. Every action adds up.
Showing up beyond the breakroom
What comes next is up to all of us.
San Diego’s immigrant communities are leading with resilience and vision. Local businesses are following their lead—by protecting people, uplifting culture, and working toward policies rooted in fairness.
When we asked BFG members what this looks like in real time, the answers weren’t flashy. They were human. “I think we all have a responsibility to speak up—especially those of us with privilege, platforms, or proximity to power,” said Mikey.
Another BFG member shared how their team created an emergency fund to cover legal consultations or DACA renewals. Resources like the NILC Employer Guide can help businesses navigate those moments with clarity and care.
Rachel emphasized that this work goes beyond compliance: “Knowing your rights is critical—but real solidarity shows up in the workplace in how we treat people and in what we’re building together.”
Whether it’s designing spaces like PANA’s Global Village or making sure someone feels safe to clock in, these small acts make a big impact.
This isn’t a side hustle, it’s solidarity
Being a business owner in San Diego means more than managing margins or serving customers. It means being part of a community shaped by movement, migration, and shared resilience.
The people who make this city vibrant—who grow our food, raise our kids, care for our elders, power our industries—deserve to be safe and seen.
This moment calls for more than awareness. It calls for alignment. It asks us to look at our hiring practices, our breakroom conversations, our vendor relationships, our policy positions—and ask: are we protecting people? Are we helping them thrive?
For those looking to engage more deeply in policy advocacy, the BFG Guide to Public Commenting offers actionable steps to make your voice heard in local government decisions.
When we treat immigrant justice as workplace justice, economic justice, and human dignity all at once, we build something that lasts longer than any election cycle: trust.
