Charlotte bakery owner says deportation fears keep patrons at home: 'If I don't have customers, I don't have employees, I don't have a business'

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Race, Class & Communities

The word "Due" read from top-down and "South" left-right, with the U shared between them. Reminiscent of a compass.

Due South

Charlotte bakery owner says deportation fears keep patrons at home: 'If I don't have customers, I don't have employees, I don't have a business'

By Jeff Tiberii,

Aaron S谩nchez-Guerra, Rachel McCarthy

Published March 25, 2025 at 12:06 PM EDT

There are approximately 300,000 people living in North Carolina without legal status. And they are not the only North Carolinians grappling with the Trump administration鈥檚 deportation promises. Mixed status families, people who had their legal status revoked through recent changes made by the Trump administration, and even people who hold visas and green cards, may be facing anxiety, tumult, and fear.

Due South鈥檚 Jeff Tiberii talks with Manolo Betancur, a Charlotte bakery owner and community activist, about how the stress of potential deportations has impacted his business, his community, and his family. They are also joined by Nikki Mar铆n Baena, co-founder and co-director of Greensboro-based advocacy organization Siembra NC, and by Aaron S谩nchez-Guerra, Race, Class & Communities Reporter for 吉彩网网站.

Guests

Manolo Betancur, owner, Manolo's Bakery

Nikki Mar铆n Baena, co-founder and co-director, Siembra NC

Aaron S谩nchez-Guerra, Race, Class & Communities Reporter, 吉彩网网站

Due South

Jeff Tiberii

Jeff Tiberii is the co-host of 吉彩网网站's "Due South." Jeff joined 吉彩网网站 in 2011. During his 20 years in public radio, he was Morning Edition Host at WFDD and 吉彩网网站鈥檚 Greensboro Bureau Chief and later, the Capitol Bureau Chief. Jeff has covered state and federal politics, produced the radio documentary 鈥淩ight Turn,鈥� launched a podcast, and was named North Carolina Radio Reporter of the Year four times.

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Aaron S谩nchez-Guerra

Aaron S谩nchez-Guerra covers issues of race, class, and communities for 吉彩网网站.

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Rachel McCarthy

Rachel McCarthy is a producer for "Due South." She previously worked at 吉彩网网站 as a producer for "The Story with Dick Gordon." More recently, Rachel was podcast managing editor at Capitol Broadcasting Company where she developed narrative series and edited a daily podcast. She also worked at "The Double Shift" podcast as supervising producer. Rachel learned about audio storytelling at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies. Prior to working in audio journalism, she was a research assistant at the Aspen Institute in Washington, DC.

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