This story is part of a series produced in collaboration with La Semana, KOSU, The Frontier, The Oklahoma Eagle and the Tulsa Flyer.
Inside an empty salon, owner Maky Munoz sits in a styling chair getting her hair dyed by the only employee on the clock. The pair don’t have any clients at the moment.
It’s an unusual case for a salon that used to be full of customers waiting for a haircut. Clients could hear razors buzzing, blow dryers going off and chatter between staff and employees.
The majority of her clientele now remains at home, she says, afraid to spend money due to immigration enforcement and rumors of increased activity in east Tulsa, the center of Latino life in the city. Her sales have dropped 75%.
Munoz is one of many local business owners in the area who are feeling the impacts of the Trump administration’s deportation campaign. There has been an increasing number of Immigration and Custom Enforcement sightings in recent months, leaving many in the community afraid to venture outside of their home.
An August research paper showed increased immigration enforcement has led to “economic damage” to construction, agriculture and leisure and hospitality industries, mostly from losing immigrant workers. The U.S. economy was already seeing a reduction in its immigrant workforce in 2024, according to the study.
On the ground, things look starker. There are widespread reports of immigrants across the country who are “reluctant” to show up for work because of fear that they or family members will be apprehended.
This fall, Munoz has noticed her regulars have more fear of ICE agents, especially when it comes to going to work, and are paying close attention to their presence in the community.
“They tell me, ‘Cut my hair short because I’m not coming back, I’m scared. I have my kids. They’re off to school. I’m putting myself at risk,’” Munoz said.
Rey Villalobos, owner of the restaurant La Torta Loca, saw a 30% drop in sales this summer at his restaurant inside Plaza Santa Cecilia. The plaza, home to restaurants, boutiques and clothing stores, has seen less foot traffic in recent years. Rumors of ICE’s presence in the area doesn’t help.
Villalobos has sold tortas there for seven years. Typically, he sells the best on the weekends, but that isn’t the case lately.
“July was probably one of the worst months we’ve had in a long time,” he said. “It just felt dead here. You could feel it in the air, like, nobody wanted to come by here, and I mean, it’s understandable.”
If Hispanics — his main clientele — are impacted, the business as a whole will feel the consequences, he said. People have told Villalobos that they’re saving money to return to Mexico.
“I imagine people don’t want to buy things, invest in stuff, buy cars for the reason of ‘I could be deported,’” he said.
He’s seen sales bounce back to normal with the arrival of fall, and the lunch rush of customers is slowly flowing back.
The fear, he said, remains. People are more aware of ICE’s presence and cautious in case something happens, he said.
Similarly, Karla Cruz has noticed fewer people coming out to spend money lately. The owner of Bellisima Boutique in Plaza Santa Cecilia said she understands people are scared but rent is still due at the end of each month.
Cruz sometimes has weeks where she doesn’t sell any items at the boutique and barely makes enough to stay open. Before the increase in immigration enforcement, she said people would at least come out and look at the store.
“If (people) do come, they’re coming fast and buying what they need and not stopping by and looking at the other stores anymore,” she said.
Sara Melgoza, who works at a furniture store in east Tulsa, noticed gas stations that were typically packed with customers were empty after social media posts about ICE being present near 21st and Garnett streets.
“It wasn’t only the day they said ICE was there, but the following day, too,” Melgoza said. “That week you could tell the terror that happens when they’re scared about a situation.”
Munoz, the salon owner, said she doesn’t just miss the sales but her clients as well. Fewer people of color and families are coming in for haircuts and the occasional therapy session that the salon provided.
“We just have to wait and see if all of this gets any better,” Munoz said. “It’s not easy to leave your country and be hit with the wolf.”
This article was produced as part of a partnership between the Tulsa Flyer and La Semana, a Tulsa-based bilingual Spanish-English newspaper serving Latino communities in Oklahoma.
News decisions at the Tulsa Flyer are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
