Here in northern Virginia, illegals only take cash, but many businesses, particularly upscale ones, don’t use cash because they are worried about being robbed. I tried to buy a couple of beers at a new brew pub in town, and the guy said he could take cash, but not make change because they didn’t keep any cash there.
I lived in McLean for 36 years until 2015. I guess things have changed. At the grocery store the illegals always used cash unless they had a food stamp card garnered thru an anchor baby.