Congressman Derek Tran Visits Local Small Business Impacted by GKN Hazardous Materials Incident

“I continue to represent by coming back…and making sure that [small businesses are] always taken care of.” - Rep. Derek Tran

Garden Grove, CA – Frontline candidate and Democratic nominee Derek Tran recently visited a small business in Garden Grove, sharing key recovery and accountability updates following the GKN Aerospace hazardous materials incident in May 2026.

Congressman Tran, who serves on the House Small Business Committee, visited Sabroso! Mexican Kitchen, one of over 5,000 small businesses impacted by the incident.

Tran met with the owners, prepared a meal with the chefs, and spoke exclusively with KABC on the Hazardous Materials Transparency Act, new legislation that would require companies like GKN to properly engage with their surrounding communities on emergency notification procedures and protective actions.

Video: KABC Interview with Bianca Buono

• Bianca Buono: Representative Derek Tran stands over the stove at Sabroso! Mexican Kitchen in Garden Grove. He’s visiting one of the many businesses impacted by the massive evacuation over Memorial Day weekend, sparked by a toxic chemical scare at GKN Aerospace.

• Congressman Tran: [Sabroso! Mexican Kitchen] suffered around 70% in losses [as the result of the incident].

• Buono: His visit comes as he’s introduced new legislation that would require facilities working with hazardous materials to be more transparent with surrounding communities. It also comes as the Democrat is running for reelection.

• Tran: I continue to represent by coming back, showing up for them, and making sure that [small businesses are] always taken care of.

• Buono: Tran is an Army veteran and the son of Vietnamese refugees, elected in 2024, flipping the district blue.

• Tran: I think more than politics, I look at the issues and what my constituents are facing. A lot of times they’re not talking about a Republican or Democrat issue. They’re talking about things that impact their pocketbooks.

In June, Tran obtained a Disaster Declaration from the Small Business Administration to provide low-interest disaster loans to impacted small businesses and private nonprofits. During the incident, Tran hosted a virtual phone bank with campaign volunteers to reach out to impacted families and share urgent evacuation details. Additionally, Tran secured a Federal Emergency Declaration to deploy additional public health resources from the federal government.

Sabroso! Mexican Kitchen was one of over 5,000 local small businesses impacted by the incident and experienced a 70% decrease in customers at the peak of the incident. The business has since fully recovered as a result of Tran’s quick recovery actions.