Dozens of Eugene and Springfield Businesses Close Jan. 30 to Protest ICE

Dozens of restaurants, bars, shops and cafés in Eugene and Springfield closed their doors Jan. 30 as part of a nationwide "National Shutdown" protesting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement enforcement. The one-day economic strike aimed to pressure lawmakers and spotlight local ties between businesses, workers and immigrant communities.

Local organizers said the Lane County Immigration Defense Network compiled a list of participating businesses, and the University of Oregon student government endorsed the action. ASUO President Prissila Moreno urged the student government leadership to stand down for the day: "In solidarity with the national strike, I am calling the entire executive branch to a no-work day tomorrow."

A 2 p.m. rally at Springfield City Hall drew demonstrators before a planned car caravan to Eugene and back. Organizers framed the action as part of a national push modeled after a Minnesota economic strike that closed hundreds of businesses earlier in the month.

Several downtown small businesses described weighing tight margins against staff and community pressure. Portal Tea store manager Peter Licavoli said employees "felt it was time to take a stand" and acknowledged the financial pain of closing: "It was really a challenging decision because we’re a small business, so we had to weigh the financial aspects of it." He added, "But in the end, (employees) made the choice that it was worth it for us as a community and for a business, and also a lot of the employees feel like they needed something to express their voices."

Bakeries and restaurants reported operational headaches tied to a sudden day off. "For bread and pastry, we work two to three days out and have to reorganize everything and rearrange the production schedule," Sovak said. "The word is out and a lot of places are closed and it feels great!"

Noisette Pastry Kitchen closed for the day, with proprietor Cheri Hammons noting the shop's community role: "I’ve got customers celebrating how long they’ve been sober since we opened. It’s not just been about selling products and making money. It’s about that community aspect. It’s the driving force." Other local businesses that announced closures included Portal Tea, Tacovore, Party Bar, Equiano Coffee, Ambivert Fabrics, Poppi’s Greek Taverna, Reality Kitchen and Acorn Community Cafe. Reality Kitchen planned to reopen Jan. 31 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., while Acorn served its usual free meals starting at 10 a.m. before closing at 2 p.m. to join the Springfield rally.

Some proprietors chose different approaches. Boris Wiedenfeld-Needham closed the main branch of Bo’s Wine Depot while a Whiteaker location and Nero remained open, with proceeds designated for local causes, and Arable Brewing Co. publicly supported the movement but said "closing our doors isn’t a realistic option." Social media posts from businesses echoed the day’s message; Party Bar posted that its "Party team has unanimously voted to shut it down this Friday for the Nationwide Strike - no business as usual!" and "ICE OUT EVERYWHERE," while Tacovore posted that "We can't stand by quietly while non-violent immigrant families are being targeted by ICE and their treatment of peaceful protesters everywhere."

For Lane County residents, the shutdown temporarily altered where and when people could get meals, coffee and services while signaling growing local business solidarity with immigrant-rights activism. Organizers said lists of participating businesses were still evolving after the action; community members can expect more local follow-up from businesses and advocacy groups in the coming days as organizers assess next steps.