SECURE CA launches to shield small businesses from immigration disruption

By AI, Created 5:22 AM UTC, June 01, 2026, /AGP/ – A new California alliance called SECURE CA launched June 1 to help small businesses and local economies absorb the effects of heightened immigration enforcement and related federal policy shifts. Backers say the effort will coordinate legal education, rapid-response tools, messaging and funding across statewide business and community networks.

Why it matters: - California’s economy hit a record $4.25 trillion in 2025, and immigrant workers, entrepreneurs and consumers remain central to that growth. - Small-business disruption can quickly spill into jobs, supply chains, local tax revenue and community stability. - SECURE CA is meant to give local organizations a coordinated response instead of forcing them to react alone.

What happened: - SECURE CA, the Statewide Economic Continuity & Unified Response Effort, launched June 1 in Los Angeles as a statewide, business-led alliance. - The alliance is focused on protecting small-business continuity, workforce stability and community well-being amid heightened immigration enforcement and related federal policy shifts. - The effort is convened by the California Community Economic Development Association, National Small Business Advocacy Council, the Insight Center for Community Economic Development and allied partners. - The National Immigration Law Center is providing legal education and expertise.

The details: - Immigrants make up nearly one-third of California’s labor force and more than 40% of entrepreneurs, including more than 880,000 immigrant entrepreneurs statewide. - Businesses in agriculture, construction, healthcare, hospitality, retail and other essential sectors are reporting interrupted operations, lost revenue, reduced customer traffic, worker absences and uncertainty. - Local business and community-serving groups often lack aligned tools, messaging, legal education and resources to respond. - A Los Angeles County DEO/LAEDC report estimated undocumented workers contribute $253.9 billion in total economic output, support more than 1.06 million jobs and generate $80.4 billion in labor income. - That same report said businesses reported $3.7 million in losses over three months, 82% of surveyed businesses saw negative impacts, and 44% lost more than half of revenue. - UC Irvine researchers estimated $58.9 million in lost economic output over eight weeks in Orange County after May 2025 enforcement activity. - The Bay Area Council Economic Institute estimated that removing undocumented workers from the regional economy could cut regional GDP by up to $67 billion a year and reduce annual tax revenue by $8.4 billion. - Recent SBA policy changes restricting SBA-guaranteed loan access for foreign nationals and non-citizens, including businesses owned in whole or in part by foreign nationals, add a capital access gap for California entrepreneurs. - SECURE CA will use an “alliance of alliances” model to reach businesses through economic development organizations, chambers of commerce, community development corporations, CDFIs, immigrant-serving and farmworker organizations, faith-based institutions, rural partners, philanthropy and financial institutions. - Initial work includes rapid-response tools, shared talking points, statewide coordination, funder roundtables, multilingual business tools, legal education resources and a policy platform centered on economic resilience, workforce stability and small-business continuity. - Since January 2026, founding partners have contributed $140,000 in combined financial and in-kind support. - A February informational webinar drew more than 70 organizations from across California.

Between the lines: - The launch reflects a shift from isolated local responses to a coordinated statewide infrastructure effort. - Leaders are framing immigration disruption as an economic continuity issue, not only a legal or political one. - The alliance is also trying to close a practical gap: many businesses need immediate guidance, but local support systems are uneven and often under-resourced. - The involvement of legal, research, business and community groups suggests the effort is designed to combine advocacy with operational support.

What’s next: - SECURE CA aims to reach at least 20 major organizational networks in its first phase. - The alliance plans to launch response toolkits, convene funder briefings, publish rapid-response talking points and formalize governance using live data from impacted communities. - Donations are being accepted at the alliance’s donation page.

The bottom line: - SECURE CA is betting that coordinated business and community action can blunt the economic shock of immigration enforcement and keep California’s small-business ecosystem functioning.