Central Coast Businesses Protest ICE Activities

Restaurants, shops, and breweries across the region closed or donated proceeds to support immigrant communities.

Jan. 31, 2026 at 1:47am

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Businesses across California's Central Coast, including popular restaurants, shops, and breweries, took a stand on January 30th by closing for the day or donating a portion of their proceeds as part of a national protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities. The closures and donations were intended to support immigrant communities that have been impacted by increased ICE enforcement operations in the region.

Why it matters

The coordinated business protest highlights the economic and social impact that aggressive ICE tactics are having on immigrant-owned and immigrant-serving enterprises across the Central Coast. As federal immigration policies become more stringent, local businesses that rely on immigrant customers and employees are facing difficult choices about how to respond.

The details

Businesses that closed for the day included the popular Mexican restaurant Los Agaves in Santa Barbara, the gift shop Blackwater in downtown San Luis Obispo, and the jewelry shop Len Collective, also in SLO. Breweries like Captain Fatty's and Draughtsmen Aleworks in Santa Barbara donated $1 per beer sale to the 805UndocuFund, which supports immigrant-serving organizations. Restaurant owner Jose Luis Lopez Elizalde, who migrated from Mexico in 1990, said his Oxnard businesses have been hit hardest, with 80% of his customers being undocumented and afraid to come in due to recent ICE activity. Yesenia's Boutique in Carpinteria has also seen a slowdown in business since a large-scale ICE enforcement operation last summer, with the owner saying at least five regular clients have been 'abducted' by ICE.

  • The coordinated business protest took place on January 30, 2026.
  • A large-scale ICE enforcement operation hit Carpinteria in the summer of 2025.

The players

Los Agaves

A popular Mexican restaurant in Santa Barbara that closed for the day as part of the protest.

Blackwater

A gift and vintage shop in downtown San Luis Obispo that closed for the day as part of the protest.

Len Collective

A jewelry shop in San Luis Obispo that closed for the day as part of the protest.

Captain Fatty's

A brewery in Santa Barbara that donated $1 per beer sale to the 805UndocuFund as part of the protest.

Draughtsmen Aleworks

A brewery in Santa Barbara that donated $1 per beer sale to the 805UndocuFund as part of the protest.

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What they’re saying

“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.”

— Jose Luis Lopez Elizalde, Restaurant Owner

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

— Marta Marquez, Owner, Yesenia's Boutique

What’s next

The 805UndocuFund, which received donations from participating breweries, will continue to support immigrant-serving organizations across Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo Counties in the wake of increased ICE enforcement.

The takeaway

The coordinated business protest across the Central Coast underscores the real economic and social toll that aggressive federal immigration policies are having on local immigrant communities and the enterprises that serve them. As the crackdown on undocumented immigrants continues, businesses are being forced to make difficult choices about how to respond and support their employees and customers.