Press Release: 2/24/2026
Pressley, Advocates Spotlight Impact of Immigrant-Owned Small Buesiness in Local Economies, sould Alarm on Harm of Trump Attacks
February 23, 2026
Pressley Heard from Immigrant Small Businesses Owners Reeling from Fear, Impact on Livelihoods, Trump Anti-Immigrant Policies
As Immigrant Communities Have Been Under Siege by the Trump Admin., Pressley Has Been Leading Voice for Immigrant Rights & Small Businesses
BOSTON – Last week, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) convened immigrant entrepreneurs and small business owners, community advocates, and municipal leaders to hear of the essential role that immigrant-owned small businesses play in Massachusetts’ economy and communities. Following the roundtable convening, Rep. Pressley held a press conference to amplify their stories and sound the alarm on the harm immigrant small business owners are facing as a result of Donald Trump’s attacks on the immigrant community.
“Our immigrant entrepreneurs and small business owners are indispensable, interwoven in the fabric of our Commonwealth and our country,” said Rep. Pressley. “The impact they have on our communities and economies reverberates far beyond the walls of their businesses—employing even one worker supports an entire family, engaging with local suppliers strengthens the state’s supply chain, and providing critical goods promotes the health, wealth, and wellness of our communities. I’m proud to support the innovation and contributions of our immigrant small business owners, and I will continue to defend their lives and livelihoods and push back against the blatant harm of this hostile White House.”
“Immigrant small business owners have invested their money, time, and energy into their work and are at risk of losing their ability to work if their Temporary Protective Status is terminated. It is sobering to hear from these entrepreneurs, who have uplifted their communities, provided employment, and supported their loved ones, express fear about what could happen. In Massachusetts, 91,400 immigrant entrepreneurs contribute more than $3.1 billion in business income annually. These businesses power our main streets, employ workers who support families, and enrich our culture. Ending temporary protected status will harm our economy, our workforce and the livelihoods of our neighbors.” – Elizabeth Sweet, Executive Director, MIRA Coalition
“I am grateful to Congresswoman Pressley for bringing together an incredible group of talented immigrant business owners to remind us that this country was literally built on people like them. They employ people. They pay a lot of taxes. It is time to stand up now to the misguided policies of Donald Trump, who seems to unconscionably forget that he himself descends from recent immigrants.” – State Representative John Moran – 9th Suffolk
“I’m writing as a business owner who’s invested heart, family, culture, and community into Suya Joint. Restaurants are the pulse of a neighborhood. When we disappear, the character drains out. Costs rise — payroll, food, rent, compliance — while responsibility grows. Unpredictability is exhausting. We create jobs, preserve culture, activate neighborhoods, host meals, partner locally. But does the system allow us to remain viable? Independent operators shape culture yet feel invisible in policy talks dominated by corporates. We need support — capital access, tax relief, regulatory clarity, protection for community businesses. When small restaurants close, it’s an ecosystem loss, hard to rebuild. Pride alone can’t offset imbalance. I’d welcome discussing policy to sustain small, immigrant-owned restaurants like Suya Joint. Thank you for standing with us.” – Cecelia, Owner, Suya Joint
“We applaud Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley for hosting yesterday’s important listening session in Boston with TPS business owners and community stakeholders. The gathering created a vital space for the voices of immigrant entrepreneurs, many of whom have lived, worked, paid taxes, and contributed faithfully to Massachusetts’s economic and social fabric for decades, to be heard with dignity and respect. At a time when Haitian families and workers face uncertainty and fear, Congresswoman Pressley’s leadership reflects a deep commitment to justice, economic inclusion, and human dignity. By centering the experiences of TPS business owners, she affirmed what we already know in our communities: TPS immigrants are not a burden but a blessing; builders of small businesses, job creators, homeowners, parents, and active members of our churches and civic life.” – Pastor Dieufort “Keke” Fleurrisaint with True Alliance Center
“Across the country, TPS holders like me generate $21 billion for the U.S. economy each year, yet we live with constant uncertainty about our future. Bank financing is essential to my business, but it’s nearly impossible to secure loans when my legal status is unstable. I rely on financing to purchase properties and invest in repairs and upgrades. Without TPS, I would be forced to close my business. That would devastate my family and directly harm my local community. My employees would lose their jobs. Local vendors would lose a key source of income. The closure of my small business would cause hundreds of thousands of dollars in economic loss to my community.” – Jose Urias, Business Owner, Co-Coordinator of the Massachusetts TPS Committee, and a member of the National TPS Alliance
“Immigrant workers power our small business community, from healthcare to hospitality, and when fear and instability ripple through the workforce, local businesses and neighborhoods feel it too. Employers want to comply with the law and support their teams, and that means being prepared, getting I-9 compliance right, and understanding viable immigration options. At Pathway for Immigrant Workers, we work alongside small businesses to stabilize their workforce through lawful employment-based sponsorship and practical, solutions-focused guidance.” – Leslie Ditrani, Pathway for Immigrant Workers
Running a small business is already incredibly difficult. We heard from business owners who not only carry that burden but also live in fear for the safety and livelihood of their families. Their courage was overwhelming. I am deeply ashamed that people who fled unimaginable hardship are now experiencing that same fear here. We cannot stand idly by. Mass Restaurants United stands ready as a resource and is proud to partner with MIRA and other organizations to provide support and real solutions.” – Jen Ziskin, Executive Director, Massachusetts Restaurants United
“As the owner of a translation and interpretation business, everyone on my team knows someone who has been harmed by this regime’s attack on immigrants. The communities we serve are living in fear. A friend of mine, an asylum seeker who came to this country to have freedom, has been imprisoned by ICE since September, and they keep moving him when he has an asylum hearing just to delay his process. We’re reliving the ugly history of what was done to Japanese Americans with the internment camps. Thank you, Congresswoman Pressley, for standing up for us when we need it the most.” – Danyal Najmi, Rosetta Languages
“”Immigrant-owned businesses are foundational to the American economy. Yet, recent federal actions have created fear, instability, and uncertainty within immigrant communities—conditions that undermine business growth. When entrepreneurs are forced to navigate threats of deportation, restrictive visa policies, or shifting federal enforcement priorities, it affects hiring, expansion, and long-term investment decisions. The path forward requires federal leadership that recognizes immigrant-owned businesses as vital economic engines. The strength of the U.S. economy is tied directly to the ability of immigrant entrepreneurs to operate, hire, and grow.” – Q.J. Shi, Senior Director of ABEC, Asian Business Empowerment Council
One in five workers in Massachusetts is an immigrant. Immigrant workers play a vital role in sustaining key industries, including healthcare, transportation, manufacturing, hospitality, and science. Approximately 15% of TPS holders are self-employed, representing nearly 40,000 TPS entrepreneurs nationwide and an estimated 5,000 business owners in Massachusetts.
Immigrant business owners make significant contributions to the Commonwealth’s economy. Massachusetts is home to 91,400 immigrant entrepreneurs who collectively generate $3.1 billion in business income. These businesses include home health aide agencies, childcare centers, corner store grocers, construction companies, beauty salons, tailors, and more.
Beyond their economic contributions, immigrant-owned businesses serve as community anchors, strengthening neighborhood cohesion, expanding cultural diversity, and creating spaces for cultural expression and enrichment.
Joining Rep. Pressley for the roundtable conversation was Liz Sweet, Esq. with the MIRA Coalition, Leslie Ditrani, Esq. with Pathway for Immigrant Workers, Pastor Dieufort “Keke” Fleurrisaint with True Alliance Center, Jen Ziskin with MA Restaurants United, State Representative John Moran, Aliesha Porcena, City of Boston’s Director of the Small Business Department, Monique Nguyen, Director of the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement (MOIA), and several immigrant small business owners.
Video of the press conference is available here and photos here.
Rep. Pressley has been a leading voice in defense of immigrant communities under attack by the Trump administration.
In January 2026, Rep. Pressley and Senator Markey held a field hearing with members of the Haitian community on the importance of extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti. Testimony was documented in the Congressional Record.
Rep. Pressley also leads a discharge petition that could compel the House vote on a bill to require the Trump Administration to extend TPS for Haiti for three years.
In February 2026, during Oversight Democrats’ bicameral shadow hearing on the use of violence by ICE, Rep. Pressley demanded Congress end qualified immunity to ensure federal law enforcement officers are held accountable for breaking the law and murdering civilians. Rep. Pressley called on her colleagues not to settle for bare minimum reforms in funding negotiations for the Department of Homeland Security, instead urging them to fight to rebalance power and restore accountability.
In January 2026, at the invitation of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Congresswoman Pressley went to Minneapolis to meet with organizers and community members impacted by ICE’s violent operation in Minnesota, where they have murdered bystanders, terrorized schools and small businesses, and abducted children and parents.
Following the ICE murder of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, Congresswoman Pressley and Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) introduced the Qualified Immunity Abolition Act of 2026, which builds on the lawmakers’ prior work by granting victims the right to sue federal law enforcement officers—not just state and local—for civil rights violations and abolishing the defense of qualified immunity in these suits. The expanded legislation would help deliver accountability for families abused by law enforcement, including ICE agents.
Congresswoman Pressley delivered a floor speech on the need to end qualified immunity for federal law enforcement, including immigration officers. Watch the floor speech here.
In January 2026, Congresswoman Pressley condemned the ICE murder of Renee Good in Minnesota and motioned to subpoena all records and footage related to the shooting, but Republicans obstructed it. Footage of Congresswoman Pressley’s motion to subpoena is here.
In December 2025, Rep. Pressley convened and welcomed home the workers and families impacted by the cruel and unlawful ICE raid at an Allston car wash in November. Rep. Pressley delivered a powerful speech on the House floor condemning the Allston ICE raid and defended the vibrant immigrant communities who are being maliciously stolen from their homes, ripped from their families, and unlawfully detained and deported by the Trump Administration and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
In June 2025, Congresswoman Pressley convened immigrant justice advocates, local leaders, and impacted families to tell Donald Trump and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE): Hands off our immigrant neighbors.
Rep. Pressley has also been an outspoken critic against the unlawful detention of Rümeysa Öztürk, a Tufts PhD student, Somerville resident, and constituent of the Congresswoman’s who was unlawfully detained for weeks in retaliation for her protected speech. After weeks of advocacy and Congressional oversight, including a visit to detention centers in Louisiana, Rep. Pressley and Senator Ed Markey welcomed Ms. Öztürk to Massachusetts following her arrival from ICE detention in Louisiana.
Rep. Pressley has also spoken out against reports of ICE activity in Boston and other municipalities in Massachusetts.