On February 3, 2025, the Bay Area experienced a brief but brutal wake-up call as thousands of immigrants took part in the nationwide “Day Without Immigrants” protest. Businesses shut down, restaurant kitchens went quiet, and suddenly, a whole lot of people realized just how much they rely on the very workers some politicians love to scapegoat. Turns out, when you remove a key piece of the economy, things start falling apart. Who knew?

The Mission District Without Mission Burritos? A Tragedy.

San Francisco’s Mission District, usually buzzing with the smell of sizzling carne asada and fresh pan dulce, felt eerily empty. Many taquerias and family-run shops simply didn’t open, proving that when immigrant labor takes a day off, so do your dinner plans. UberEats orders skyrocketed, only for users to realize that many of the restaurants they rely on were - gasp - immigrant-owned.

Over in San Jose, the normally packed mom-and-pop markets, auto shops, and food spots had a different kind of rush, people scrambling to get last-minute groceries before the strike began. If nothing else, the protest proved that the Bay Area economy doesn’t just depend on immigrant labor, it runs on it.

Oakland’s Fruitvale to Santa Rosa: The Streets Were Louder Than Congress

In Oakland, protesters gathered at Fruitvale BART station, carrying signs like “Try Running the Economy Without Us” and “No One is Illegal, Except Maybe Your Taxes”. The turnout was huge, and the message was clear: immigrants aren’t here to take, they’re here to build.

Up north in Santa Rosa, demonstrators rallied in front of the Old Courthouse, making it very clear that the North Bay wouldn’t be sitting this one out either. Meanwhile, school attendance across the Bay Area took a nosedive, which also meant local school districts took a financial hit, yet another reminder that immigrants don’t just contribute to the economy, they are the economy.

A Protest With Perfect Timing

This wasn’t just a random day of activism, it was a direct clapback at President Trump’s increasingly aggressive immigration policies, which continue to push for tougher restrictions, crackdowns, and deportations. The irony? Many of the people affected by these policies are the same ones keeping industries like agriculture, hospitality, and tech running smoothly.

For one day, the Bay Area got a glimpse of what it looks like without its immigrant workforce. Spoiler alert: it’s not pretty. And while some folks might take immigrants for granted, today’s protest made one thing clear, without them, the Bay Area is just overpriced real estate and long lines at self-checkout.