Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Small Business Support topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce seeks city support as members face economic strain and ICE-related disruptions
Summary
The CEO and founder of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce asked the committee for city help to expand services for micro and small businesses statewide (the chamber reports ~1,200 members), described revenue and membership declines tied to rising costs, and said ICE-related fear has reduced customers and workers in some locations; council members offered support and suggested state advocacy avenues.
The committee heard from the founder and CEO of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, who described the chamber's decade of work providing resources, technical assistance and government navigation for primarily micro businesses (less than 10 employees). The speaker said the chamber serves roughly 1,200 members statewide and requested city assistance to extend services to more small businesses that are struggling with high energy costs, reduced membership dues and other economic pressures.
The presenter described how ICE enforcement and community fear have affected business operations and workforce availability: staff visits to businesses in Central Falls reportedly caused panic among customers, and some workers failed to show for shifts amid rumors about enforcement activity. "The panic from the business was so big that suddenly nobody was attending the business when they come," the presenter said, describing anecdotal impacts on customer traffic and staffing.
Council members praised the chamber's outreach and suggested city options: discretionary funding, preparing a resolution to request state support, or coordinated outreach through the council’s state legislative affairs channel. The presenter said prior state funding requests had not been approved and welcomed the committee’s offer to help pursue legislative and executive-branch attention. The transcript does not show any formal appropriation vote in the excerpt provided; matters remain for follow-up and potential future funding or resolutions.
