With Border Patrol in Charlotte, Rock Hill stores scramble to protect customers
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Border Patrol in Charlotte
U.S. Border Patrol began making rounds in Charlotte on Saturday morning.
This follows recent Border Patrol activity in Chicago that made headlines, with some reports alleging agents violated people’s rights.
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Beneath colorful banners, neatly stacked displays of fresh tomato, avocado and chiles stand ready for the Monday morning rush. Soft Latin music plays. A manager waits at the front register. All that’s missing at La Tapatia Supermercado in Rock Hill are the people.
“As you can see, it’s empty,” said Rosa Belcran, who manages the Hispanic grocery store and restaurant on Cherry Road. It’s been that way since Saturday, when the U.S. Border Patrol began an immigration enforcement campaign in Charlotte. More than 130 people were arrested over the weekend, according to the Charlotte Observer.
Those events have had an impact south of the state line, too.
The Herald spoke with nearly a dozen people in Rock Hill on Monday about the immigration enforcement in Charlotte. Several declined to give their names, due to safety concerns. The Herald didn’t ask about citizenship status. The common themes of those conversations, from businesses to places of worship, were fear and waiting.
That’s especially true on Cherry Road, where numerous Hispanic restaurants, grocery stores, bakeries and retail shops have become mainstays in recent years.
“We’re waiting to see what happens,” said Salome Perez, owner of Taqueria Rosey.
The Mexican food and dessert spot on Cherry Road recently started closing an hour earlier, Perez said, but that change was due to cold weather. Cold desserts are more popular there during the summer.
Taqueria Rosey only had employees inside on Monday morning. The shop doesn’t plan to make changes, but Perez also doesn’t know what to expect from the high-profile immigration activities.
People who spoke to The Herald said they haven’t seen Border Patrol agents or activities in Rock Hill. Several mentioned events in Charlotte impacting people who live there but work in the Rock Hill area.
Rock Hill has a growing non-native population
The Hispanic population is increasing throughout the Rock Hill region. The three counties have added more than 10,000 Hispanic residents since 2020, according to the Census Bureau. That’s roughly the population of the city of York. About 8.1% of York County is Hispanic.
From 2019 to 2023, the Rock Hill region averaged nearly 27,000 residents who were born outside the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. More than half of them weren’t citizens. Those residents made up 6.5% of the York County population, 7.5% in Lancaster County and 0.9% in Chester County.
The Census Bureau never asks or reports on the legal status of the people it surveys. More than 45% of the foreign-born population in York County came from Latin America. Another 32% were born in Asia.
SC supermarket makes changes after Charlotte raids
Back on Cherry Road, the popular Las Americas supermarket was quieter than usual on Monday morning. It’ll be much quieter than usual on Tuesday, too.
The Hispanic grocery store and restaurant often sees lines out into the parking lot for its weekly Taco Tuesday promotion, but this week the event is canceled.
“Out of respect and concern for our community, Taco Tuesday is canceled this week due to the recent raids in Charlotte,” reads a notice posted to social media on Sunday.
The Facebook post had nearly 180 shares and more than 280 comments within 24 hours, the vast majority of them supporting the store.
“I can’t imagine the fear and uncertainty so many families are feeling right now,” commented Erran Smith. “Thank you for trying to keep people safe.”
Las Americas also announced a free delivery service that started Sunday. Store staff will take and prepare orders, then deliver them in the Rock Hill area.
“Due to recent raids in our area and out of respect and concern for our customers who cannot leave their homes, we want to make sure everyone continues to have safe access to their purchases and essential products,” the company announced.
New Rock Hill business faces uncertainty amid immigration enforcement
While Las Americas has been open for years, La Tapatia is still getting its footing in Rock Hill.
The supermarket opened in May. Belcran translated for owner Maria Zarate, who shared concerns Monday about the fresh foods that would only last so long without customers.
“Our sales have gone down,” Zarate said. “We have only half of our employees have come to work.”
Because immigration campaigns can cause difficulty even for citizens or people working legally, getting many of the 70 employees to work was a challenge. On Monday morning, five workers made it.
The automatic sliding door at the front of the store was locked, but an employee would open it as customers approached. The store took that safety measure to protect shoppers, Zarate said.
How SC businesses support customers during Charlotte raids
Typically, it’s customers who support businesses. Immigration enforcement is causing the Rock Hill businesses to support customers in new ways.
Many people The Herald spoke with expressed sadness that enforcement work is ongoing in Charlotte and that they could come here.
“This time of the year is where families gather together to have dinner and spend time with kids, family,” said Belcran, speaking for herself. “We are seeing families getting separated.”
Looking over at untouched stacks of produce, there’s an obvious business impact, too.
“Hopefully,” she said, “the day will get better.”
This story was originally published November 17, 2025 at 2:44 PM.
