For Luis Gutierrez, a longtime 24th Street resident and owner of La Reyna Bakery, Monday morning in the Mission felt unusually quiet. The usual sounds of delivery trucks and foot traffic were gone, replaced by shuttered storefronts and emptier sidewalks. Instead of opening his bakery, Gutierrez said he rode his bike along 24th Street, filming the many closed grocery stores, restaurants and nonprofits that, like his own shop, had shut down for “a day without immigrants.” 

Dozens of storefronts along the Mission District’s major corridors stayed closed throughout Feb. 3, as San Franciscans joined the national strike in support of immigrant rights. The protest, which quickly spread through social media the day before, urged people to avoid work, studying and shopping — a move designed to highlight the role immigrants play in the U.S.economy. 

“We feel good,” said Juana Perez Badillo, a street vendor who normally sells children’s toys. “This is something that people need to do so that we’re listened to and supported.”

A person runs past a closed storefront in San Francisco’s Mission District, which shut down in observance of “A Day Without Immigrants” on Feb. 3, 2025. Photo: Pablo Unzueta for El Tecolote/CatchLight Local

Some business owners, like Marissa McGarr, 49, spent the day cleaning their shops and taking inventory, surrounded by empty chairs and tables. McGarr, who owns the sports bar The Napper Tandy on 24th Street, said she paid her staff — many of whom are long-time Latino employees — despite keeping the bar closed for the day.

“Can I afford to be closing? No,”  said McGarr, who immigrated to the U.S. from Ireland when she was 19. “But it’s an important cause. I have to show that I believe in it, too.”

Since Donald Trump assumed the presidency two weeks ago, immigrant communities have been weathering a wave of anti-immigration measures and rhetoric. A series of executive orders have sparked fear among undocumented and temporary-status residents, especially as Trump’s promise for mass deportations looms large.

At the same time, Democratic leaders and immigrant advocates have begun challenging these orders in the courts, while grassroots efforts — including protests, workshops and Monday’s national strike — have mobilized in response. 

A closed storefront displays a political message during the nationwide protest, “A Day Without Immigrants,” in San Francisco, Calif., on Feb. 3, 2025. Photo: Pablo Unzueta for El Tecolote/CatchLight Local

“We’re something essential to this country,” said an immigrant business owner on 24th Street who requested anonymity. “During the pandemic, it was us, the Latino community, that harvested food for everyone.”

While many Mission staples shut for the day, not everyone was aware of the strike. Some businesses remained open, serving lunch and offering goods to those who continued their daily routines.

Still, the strike’s message was hard to miss. Residents arriving at their go-to grocery stores found them closed, with flyers and signs about the protest taped to storefront gates.  

Douglas Castro, 62, headed to at Casa Lucas Market midday Monday, only to find the Latino grocery store was closed down. Despite the inconvenience, he said he was sympathetic to the movement. 

Resources for immigrants are wheat-pasted onto a utility container during the nationwide protest, “A Day Without Immigrants,” in San Francisco, Calif., on Feb. 3, 2025. Photo: Pablo Unzueta for El Tecolote/CatchLight Local

“I don’t pay attention too much to the news because of work, but I think it’s unfair what they are doing to all the Hispanics,” said Castro, a carpenter.

Some participating venues found a different approach to the strike. Volunteers at Adobe Books, for example, kept the space open for community gatherings but did not make any sales.

This, they said, allowed them to explain the purpose of the day with prospective customers who were unaware of the strike.

“A lot of people came in here wanting to buy books,” said Austin Wilson, a volunteer at the bookstore “But, you know, every single time someone comes to buy a book, you get to explain what’s going on. I think that’s a really powerful message.”

Douglas Castro, 62, stands in front of Casa Lucas Market on 24th Street in San Francisco, Calif., on Feb. 3, 2025. Castro, who had come to buy groceries, fully supported the protest. “I don’t pay too much attention to the news because of work, but I think it’s unfair what they are doing to all the Hispanics,” said Castro, a carpenter. “We are the ones who keep this country moving.” Photo: Pablo Unzueta for El Tecolote/CatchLight Local
The storefront of Kora Restaurant in observance of the nationwide protest, “A Day Without Immigrants,” in San Francisco, Calif., on Feb. 3, 2025. “A Day Without Immigrants” highlights immigrants’ cultural and economic significance in the country. Some Bay Area business closed in observance, which comes at a time with nationwide reports of deportations taking place across the county, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s promise to swiftly deport undocumented immigrants. Photo: Pablo Unzueta for El Tecolote/CatchLight Local
Empty tables inside the Kora Restaurant in observance of the nationwide protest, “A Day Without Immigrants,” in San Francisco, Calif., on Feb. 3, 2025. “A Day Without Immigrants” highlights immigrants’ cultural and economic significance in the country. Some Bay Area business closed in observance, which comes at a time with nationwide reports of deportations taking place across the county, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s promise to swiftly deport undocumented immigrants. Photo: Pablo Unzueta for El Tecolote/CatchLight Local
Closed storefronts along 24th Street in San Francisco’s Mission District, shuttered in observance of the nationwide protest, “A Day Without Immigrants,” on Feb. 3, 2025. Photo: Pablo Unzueta for El Tecolote/CatchLight Local
Closed storefronts along 24th Street in San Francisco’s Mission District, shuttered in observance of the nationwide protest, “A Day Without Immigrants,” on Feb. 3, 2025. Photo: Pablo Unzueta for El Tecolote/CatchLight Local
Empty shelves inside La Reyna Bakery & Coffee Shop during the nationwide protest, “A Day Without Immigrants,” in San Francisco, Calif., on Feb. 3, 2025. “A Day Without Immigrants” highlights immigrants’ cultural and economic significance in the country. Some Bay Area business closed in observance, which comes at a time with nationwide reports of deportations taking place across the county, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s promise to swiftly deport undocumented immigrants. Photo: Pablo Unzueta for El Tecolote/CatchLight Local
Empty tables inside The Napper Tandy, closed in observance of the nationwide protest, “A Day Without Immigrants,” in San Francisco, Calif., on Feb. 3, 2025. Photo: Pablo Unzueta for El Tecolote/CatchLight Local
El Chico’s closed grocery storefront in observance of the nationwide protest, “A Day Without Immigrants,” in San Francisco, Calif., on Feb. 3, 2025. “A Day Without Immigrants” highlights immigrants’ cultural and economic significance in the country. Some Bay Area business closed in observance, which comes at a time with nationwide reports of deportations taking place across the county, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s promise to swiftly deport undocumented immigrants. Photo: Pablo Unzueta for El Tecolote/CatchLight Local

Mariana Duran is a bilingual reporter for El Tecolote through UC Berkeley's California Local News Fellowship. Her work has also been featured in the Los Angeles Times and the San Luis Obispo Tribune.