It used to be that businesses only needed to be at least 51% owned by U.S. citizens, nationals, or lawful permanent residents to qualify for SBA loans. In 2025, under the Trump administration, that jumped to 100% ownership. Now they’ve gone even further by cutting out green card holders entirely. This means thousands of hardworking entrepreneurs who have lived here for years, paid taxes, and created jobs right here in the Lowcountry can no longer access affordable SBA financing. Instead, they’ll be forced to rely on expensive bank loans or online lenders if they can qualify at all. Small businesses are the backbone of our local economies. When we shut people out of opportunity, we all lose. We see fewer jobs, slower growth, and less vibrant communities. We should be expanding access to capital, not shrinking it. If I’m elected, here’s my Day One plan to fix this: ✅ Introduce legislation to restore SBA loan access for green card holders and mixed‑status businesses. ✅ Push oversight hearings to expose how this hurts SC job creators. ✅ Fight for state‑level capital programs that bypass federal roadblocks and fund all Lowcountry entrepreneurs.

Red, white, and blue logo for the Small Businesses Administration

💪🌊 #Mayra4Congress #SBAban #LowcountryBusiness #SCSmallBiz #ImmigrantEntrepreneurs

🚨 BREAKING for South Carolina small business owners: The Trump SBA just banned all non‑citizens (including green card holders) from SBA‑backed loans. That means even 1% immigrant ownership can tank a whole company’s access to capital, including thousands of Latino and immigrant‑owned businesses across the Lowcountry. This is a financial wall around our neighbors, not a “pro‑small business” policy. What the new rule does: ✅ 100% ownership must be U.S. citizens or nationals. ✅ Green card holders? Banned, even with tiny stakes. ✅ Your Charleston restaurant or Beaufort landscaper with an immigrant partner? Now ineligible too. South Carolina impact: SC has nearly 35,000 Hispanic‑owned businesses fueling our economy. Immigrant entrepreneurs support tens of thousands of jobs here - from Bluffton food trucks to Hilton Head construction crews. Now they’re locked out of affordable capital. SBA claims it’s “prioritizing Americans.” But Latino and immigrant owners are powering Lowcountry growth, yet face bigger barriers to loans. This isn’t about fraud. It’s punishing immigrants who built businesses like your favorite taquería or barber shop. What we should do: Open doors to capital for all SC small businesses: Latino, Black, women, immigrant owners driving our growth. Tag @SenatorTimScott, @LindseyGrahamSC, @RepNancyMace, and your House member. Ask: Do you support this ban in South Carolina? Hold them accountable to the public. Organize, register, and vote like the Lowcountry’s future depends on it… because it does. 💪🌊 #Mayra4Congress #SBAban #LowcountryBusiness #SCSmallBiz #ImmigrantEntrepreneurs

🚨 BREAKING for South Carolina small business owners: The Trump SBA just banned all non‑citizens (including green card holders) from SBA‑backed loans. That means even 1% immigrant ownership can tank a whole company’s access to capital, including thousands of Latino and immigrant‑owned businesses across the Lowcountry. This is a financial wall around our neighbors, not a “pro‑small business” policy. What the new rule does: ✅ 100% ownership must be U.S. citizens or nationals. ✅ Green card holders? Banned, even with tiny stakes. ✅ Your Charleston restaurant or Beaufort landscaper with an immigrant partner? Now ineligible too. South Carolina impact: SC has nearly 35,000 Hispanic‑owned businesses fueling our economy. Immigrant entrepreneurs support tens of thousands of jobs here - from Bluffton food trucks to Hilton Head construction crews. Now they’re locked out of affordable capital. SBA claims it’s “prioritizing Americans.” But Latino and immigrant owners are powering Lowcountry growth, yet face bigger barriers to loans. This isn’t about fraud. It’s punishing immigrants who built businesses like your favorite taquería or barber shop. What we should do: Open doors to capital for all SC small businesses: Latino, Black, women, immigrant owners driving our growth. Tag @SenatorTimScott, @LindseyGrahamSC, @RepNancyMace, and your House member. Ask: Do you support this ban in South Carolina? Hold them accountable to the public. Organize, register, and vote like the Lowcountry’s future depends on it… because it does. 💪🌊 #Mayra4Congress #SBAban #LowcountryBusiness #SCSmallBiz #ImmigrantEntrepreneurs

Image of a small business loan application on a table, alongside an ink pen, glasses, and a stack of cash

Organize, register, and vote like the Lowcountry’s future depends on it… because it does.

💪🌊 #Mayra4Congress #SBAban #LowcountryBusiness #SCSmallBiz #ImmigrantEntrepreneurs