Six months after dozens of street vendors were displaced by chain-link fences installed along Alvarado Street and around the MacArthur Park Metro station, many of them are now in a dire situation as Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents continue to invade the city's streets.
“I fear that we will end up in the streets like all the people at the park, or worse, be disappeared,” said Nadia in Spanish, pointing at her unhoused neighbors. The names of the MacArthur Park street vendors quoted in this story have been changed for safety.
Back in March, when L.A. TACO spoke with street vendors like Nadia, who, like many, sell everyday household items on the sidewalk, the community was already feeling the financial blow of being displaced from their original locations, following a shooting in the area that led to new fencing being installed.
At the time, street vendors reported being unable to go out and sell for a month due to the fencing and increased enforcement by the Los Angeles Police Department.
According to vendors, the situation had gotten so bad that they draped a white tarp on the corner of 7th Street back in March with a message to the mayor that read: “LAPD said to have our permits. We do have them.” “Our families are hungry.” And “We are not criminals,” urging the mayor to remove the chain-link fence.
“A lot of them aren't even making a sale a day, and a lot of them are out here 12 hours a day,” said a street vendor organizer who preferred not to disclose her name. “This is dangerous because once street vendors and local businesses can't afford to be in the area, it leaves room for gentrification.”
Increasingly aggressive actions by ICE have added another layer of anxiety.
“We come out here thinking we’re going to sell, and then we hear immigration is nearby,” said Jovanni, a vendor who sells phone accessories and small electronics. “Estamos de peor en peor” (“We're going from worse to even more worse”).
“If before we sold $200, now we make only $50 or $100 if we’re lucky, not enough to pay our bills and take care of our family,” added Nadia, standing next to other vendors.
Other street vendors across Los Angeles share their fear, and the need is noticeable. The streets are empty. Those who muster the courage to set up shop on the sidewalks are not guaranteed safety.
The need is so great that the community has stepped up in various ways to hold buyouts, create personal GoFundMe accounts for their local street vendors, and organizations like Inclusive Action for the City have raised funds to distribute cash to 200 street vendors impacted by the L.A. ICE raids.
Other cities, like Montebello, have recognized the need for their vulnerable community members and launched a relief program, allocating $100,000 towards families impacted by the current situation.
Still, street vendors at MacArthur Park said that much of the available assistance does not reach them. They said they are left wondering if the mayor or other officials will finally hear their plea for physical and financial safety.
“I don't know if Karen Bass can do anything about these masked men that are hunting us down like animals, but we need help,” said a 59-year-old street vendor who preferred not to disclose his name.
“We have a real fear about these so-called ICE agents that wear face coverings; we don’t know anymore if it’s them,” said Nadia in Spanish. “We can be kidnapped, never to be seen again, and then what? Where is that protection?”
“The situation is out of control,” exclaimed Sonia, a street vendor who spoke with L.A. TACO.
Another street vendor organizer in the area, who has worked closely with vendors, said that vendors are afraid because the raids seem to be getting closer each week. He stated that over the last three weeks, multiple raids have occurred near Union and 7th Street, as well as another at the nearest Home Depot.
“The economy is going down for small businesses, along with street vendors, because of the fear that has taken over the community,” said the organizer. “There are people who disappear every day, and we don’t know where they are. It's a violation of human rights. The worst thing is that the people they are getting are essential workers.”
In early June, ICE promised to detain as many people as possible within the 30 days allotted to them in Los Angeles. And they have done just that. The New York Times has reported that these Immigration arrests have increased nationwide and more than doubled in 38 states.
“We’re living with constant anxiety, which is affecting us psychologically in one way or another, not being able to sleep, constantly feeling scared, and always being wary about who is walking next to us,” said Roxanna, a clothing vendor in the area.
Organizers and vendors fear that their colleagues who have been detained will be sent to other countries, and they resent the way they say they are being hunted down. An act they deem unjust, considering that street vendors in Los Angeles contribute an estimated $500 million annually to the local economy.
“We’re important to this city, even if they can’t see that, we pay fees, we pay taxes, we contribute to the economy,” said Jovanni, standing near his stand.
While street vendors continue to urge officials to enact protections and aid for communities like theirs, organizers have created a GoFundMe that will help over 80 street vendors and day laborers in the MacArthur Park area.
The day L.A. TACO spoke with vendors, they visibly looked tired; some had been out there since early morning and had only sold one $5 item.
One thing is certain: Much like other vending communities in Los Angeles, the vendors in MacArthur Park are resilient, and even amid so much fear, they find moments of joy. After speaking with L.A. TACO about their hardships during the last few months, they celebrated a vendor's birthday.
They decorated the vendor's stand with a cake, birthday balloons, and pink party streamers. They sang “Happy Birthday” and split the cake between them before each headed back to their stand.
A reminder that the people that many see on their phones being violently detained, clinging onto trees and poles, are everyday people like you and me.
“People need to understand that today it's us they're coming for; tomorrow it’ll be them,” said the street vendor organizer.
To donate directly to MacArthur Park vendors, click here.
