How Vallarta and Northgate became more than just supermarkets

Mexican‑owned supermarket chains across Los Angeles are taking deliberate steps to protect immigrant customers amid a surge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids.

Vallarta Supermarkets and Northgate Gonzalez Markets—a pair of family‑owned Latino grocery chains—have moved quickly to reinforce their grocery aisles as sanctuaries, extending operating hours, expanding delivery options, and publicly affirming solidarity with troubled communities.

At its Carson location, Vallarta staff greeted patrons with aguas frescas and reaffirmed their mission through a statement on Instagram: “Our doors remain open to all and we remain committed to fostering a warm, respectful space … regardless of background or circumstance.”

Third‑generation Northgate Market's director of brand marketing Alexandra Bolanos said operating from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. was a conscious decision made “to provide customers with a sense of normalcy amid a climate of uncertainty and fear.”

Both chains have leveraged partnerships and promotions to support immigrant patrons. Vallarta is offering free or discounted delivery through Uber Eats, Instacart, and DoorDash, while Northgate waived its curbside pickup fees and pledged to match up to $50,000 in customer donations for local education and faith‑based nonprofits.

By contrast, many local businesses have reduced hours or closed amid the statewide curfew and heightened enforcement, yet these supermarkets have remained fully operational. Vallarta’s marketing director, Lizette Gomez, emphasized, “If you get a late‑night craving, you want some tacos at 9:30 p.m., our doors are open.”

Evelin Gomez, who works at the Vallarta juice bar in Carson, described the store as “a beating heart of Mexican culture,” even as customers navigate fear. “I’m very glad that I’m able to interact with people that are really going through things that are really tough right now,” Gomez said while serving aguas frescas to customers. “I’ve even had customers come in and tell me, ‘The American dream doesn’t exist anymore.’” 

ICE enforcement in L.A. intensified on June 6, with coordinated raids targeting businesses, including Home Depot lots, fashion‑district warehouses, farms, car washes and restaurants, offices, schools, and other public venues. At least 44 individuals were arrested initially, with some estimates exceeding 120 as operations continued over the weekend. 

Videos from Montebello and Santa Fe Springs show armed officers detaining individuals based on perceived Hispanic identity—a practice described by local officials as racial profiling.

Law enforcement deployed flash‑bang devices and tear gas to disperse protesters, prompting the city to enact an 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew and deploy 2,000 National Guard personnel alongside 700 Marines.

Since then, ICE has intensified workplace sweeps, detaining hundreds of individuals and prompting daily protests and clashes with law enforcement. Amid these events, the L.A. Police Department arrested more than 500 demonstrators, though Chief McDonnell reaffirmed that his officers would not enforce civil immigration laws.

In the latest update, ICE announced enforcement operations will continue for at least another 30 days under a federal directive. On June 16, federal agents were again present at a Vallarta Supermarket parking lot videoed in Montebello, prompting local officials and advocates to raise concerns of ongoing racial profiling.

California’s governor and attorney general have sued, claiming the federal deployment violates constitutional limits on military presence in domestic affairs. L.A. Mayor Karen Bass condemned the federal raids, saying the tactics “sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city.”

U.S. Representative Judy Chu, supported by colleagues, also exposed concerns about harsh treatment at the Adelanto detention facility, describing poor hygiene conditions and prolonged confinement—one detainee, a DACA recipient, was held solely for outdated paperwork.

As a result of the raids, low‑income immigrants and small businesses are struggling economically and socially. A Reuters survey with small business owners found immigrant‑reliant vendors seeing daily earnings plummet from around $2,000 to just $300, describing the impact as “worse than COVID.”

UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs Professor Chris Tilly warned reductions in immigrant workforce participation could cost billions, disrupting spending in local enclaves and broader regional markets.

Supermarket chains, along with allies across the food sector, have adapted swiftly. Vallarta and Northgate remain fully operational and are promoting services designed to ease fear. In some cases, stores have begun distributing informational cards outlining customers’ legal rights during ICE encounters—an initiative mirroring guidance from advocacy organizations like the Immigrant Defenders Law Center. 

Community support for immigrant safety efforts includes “Know Your Rights” guidelines promoted by L.A. civil‑rights entities, student‑led food deliveries in Boyle Heights, and public rights training events that combine grocery distributions with legal information sessions.

Vallarta has more than fifty stores throughout California—rooted in its 1985 founding by Mexican immigrant Enrique Gonzalez in Van Nuys—while Northgate began two years earlier in Anaheim, with both chains remaining led by founding families and involving second and third-generations in operations.