It was the first arrival of ICE agents to the area known as the Salvadoran Corridor, a place that symbolizes the presence of Central American migration in Los Angeles.
“We got too comfortable. We didn’t expect them, we didn’t expect them,” says one of the corridor’s vendors, whose name we’re withholding for safety reasons. “They jumped out of their cars, started running, and everyone who was there tried to flee and hide.”
This raid highlights the vulnerability of street vendors in the city, where politicians have introduced bills supposedly to protect them from immigration enforcement.
“They took the coconut man, Don Gerardo, Conchita, Peluches, a couple, and others,” the woman says nervously. Those detained have now entered the inhumane machinery of the Trump administration, where they will likely be sent back to their birth countries despite having lived in Los Angeles for decades.
The raid is only the spark that ignited and exposed the conditions under which street vendors work — vendors who pay for their permits and taxes like any other American citizen. In their case, not having a safer place of business leaves them as bait for ICE operations.
Raúl Claros, cofounder and interim executive director of the Salvadoran Corridor Association, expressed his frustration over the city authorities’ inaction in providing the safety these vendors desperately need.
“For years we’ve been negotiating with the city to let us, as a partnership with Los Angeles, use a building on 12th and Vermont, right in front of the Olympic Police Station. But none of our proposals have been addressed. We’re not asking for handouts — we want a partnership so that the roughly 126 street vendors can move to a safe place where they can work without the constant fear of ICE showing up,” Claros said.
The woman recounting the raid says she had to hide inside a store to protect herself. From there, she managed to record some videos that have gone viral on social media. In them, you can hear the chaos and cries of anguish from Central Americans.
“I hit my head, I had a panic attack. We’ve been living with so much hope — it’s not fair that they abandon us,” she says.
As of yesterday, the vendors had not yet returned.
“They’re very scared. This is an emergency, it deserves attention. We hope that the councilmember Eunisses Hernandez and Mayor Karen Bass listen to us this time,” says Claros.
