When Nancy Martinez was making her business plan for Nide Jardin , a home decor and plant boutique in downtown Aurora, she made Latinos her target market both because it is her culture and because they are a significant consumer base in this country.

But this month, amid heightened immigration enforcement efforts pushed by the Trump administration, Martinez only saw about half the sales she normally does during the monthly downtown First Fridays event. She is now seeing less sales than when she just sold items at local markets during the COVID-19 pandemic.

That’s what Martinez told U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Naperville, at a roundtable meeting with local Hispanic business owners held at the downtown branch of the Aurora Public Library on Friday. Those who attended the event spoke of ch

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