Street vendors say surprise enforcement actions are leaving immigrant workers defenseless across California
For Clara and her husband, Marcelo, the place where they worked felt like a safe haven. They sold food outside the Guatemalan consulate, where there was heavy foot traffic, and they were usually warned if ICE was nearby.
That day was different.
Last week, as they were preparing to start what they hoped would be a good day of sales, ICE agents arrived unexpectedly and began chasing anyone they suspected of being in the country illegally. Clara, her husband, her brother, and her nephew were clear targets.
Clara began to run, fell, and was seriously injured. Marcelo was arrested. Her nephew ran as fast as he could, and the agents were unable to catch him. Her brother was also arrested, but because he suffers from a serious medical condition, he was later released by ICE.
“We never imagined it. We never thought it could happen to us,” Clara says. “We knew about the raids, but we had never been close to one. It never crossed our minds that our family would suffer such a blow that day.”
Despite the efforts of many organizations to establish alert systems to warn when ICE is nearby, many workers—especially street vendors—remain defenseless in these situations.
“I usually go through that area, but I wasn’t there that day,” says Vanny Arias, a volunteer with the city’s alert groups. “What happened to them was awful. We’re overwhelmed; we can’t cover the entire city.”
After several days without news of Marcelo’s whereabouts, he was finally located at the Adelanto detention center. His deportation process is underway, and because he does not have a case before an immigration court, the chances of deportation are high.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Clara says. “I can’t go back to the food stand anymore; I’m afraid I’ll be next. We’re knocking on doors to see if there’s any way my husband can stay.”
Clara and Marcelo arrived in California three years ago. After trying various jobs to make ends meet, they decided that selling food would help cover their expenses. Things were going well—people liked their food, and they dreamed of expanding their business.
“We come from a Guatemalan community where the economy isn’t doing well. Going back scares us. We thought our efforts were paying off, but look what happened to us,” she concludes.
