For years, Pedro (not his real name) has made a living in the underground economy of Los Angeles shooting photos and videos for Quinceañeras, weddings, birthdays, and all kinds of parties for Latino families throughout Los Angeles.
Pedro, who is undocumented and has lived in Los Angeles since the early 90s, was deported once to his Central American country in the mid-2000s when Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents went in search of another person in the house where he was renting a room. He returned soon after and has since earned money by creating visual memories of families’ happy occasions.
The raids in Los Angeles in recent weeks have not only rattled him because he fears he may be caught AGAIN at the wrong place and at the wrong time, but they are also impacting his pocket.
“I had two parties scheduled for this week, but they both got canceled,” Pedro says.
“They (the organizers) called me and said they were postponing them until next month because they’re afraid of gathering right now because of ICE,” he adds.
He has another party scheduled for next week, but doesn’t know yet if it will happen.
“I hope it doesn’t; I have to pay rent,” he says.
The immigration raids at Home Depots, carwashes, and other businesses have brought an economic standstill to many streets once teeming with vendors and buyers. From the San Fernando Valley to Westlake, and from Lincoln Heights to South Los Angeles, the tamaleros, pupuseras, and taco stands are nowhere to be seen. People are afraid.
Many workers are also choosing not to show up for work. Bus and rail ridership has declined by 10 to 15 percent since immigration enforcement activities began in Los Angeles two weeks ago, Metro officials reported. This comes at a time when ridership should be increasing, given that international soccer friendly matches featuring Mexico are taking place at Sofi Stadium and World Club Cup games with major international teams like Atletico de Madrid and Monterrey are being held at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. However, a recent ICE detention at a Pasadena bus stop, which was captured on video and went viral, has cast a shadow over all of this. Pasadena also reported a 15 percent decrease in public transit ridership.
HELPING STREET VENDORS
Like any metropolitan area, Los Angeles is a street food mecca celebrated by locals and foreigners alike. With the approval of legal permits to sell in recent years, street vending has exploded in the city and around the county.
In some Latino neighborhoods, entire blocks have been taken over by people selling just about every kind of food imaginable, as well as toys, clothing, and other items.
There are an estimated 50,000 street vendors operating in Los Angeles. About 10,000 of them specialize in selling food. Street vending is a significant part of the city’s economy, with an estimated annual revenue of $504 million, according to the Economic Roundtable.
But all that hustling and bustling is nowhere to be found. The streets are deserted and the sidewalks empty.
The LA Street Vendor Campaign is trying to help these small business entrepreneurs by raising funds through a GoFundMe page.
“This month, street vendors in Los Angeles have been terrorized by masked immigration authorities who are detaining people indiscriminately. Immigrant rights groups and community members have confirmed that street vendors are being detained while at work. Immigrants are being detained without cause, without due process, and by federal agents who refuse to share their identification and where they are being transported to,” states the page launched this week, which has already raised over $51,000 of the $300,000 goal and says that the funds will go to help street vendors with food supplies, rent, and more.
The page says that the Fund will be raising money “as the crisis continues and until ICE ends the raids.”
At this point, no one knows when that may happen, though everyone is hoping it will be soon.
