Community Aid for L.A. Street Vendors and Day Laborers Surged During ICE Raids

In the midst of ICE raids, Angelenos have come together to support local food vendors and day laborers by raising money to help them pay for rent, bills and groceries.

Many Latino vendors and workers in the informal economy have avoided going outside out of fear they’d be swept up by immigration agents. Some stayed home for weeks at a time during the June and July sweeps.

Community organization Ktown for All raised around $160,000 for about 100 families and Pasadena for All raised about $25,000 to help nearly 50 people pay for living costs, according to members from both groups.

“It was a relief because we had not been selling anything for 15 days. So it was a relief because our bills were coming due, and then food and then rent, so for me it was a huge help,” Yady, a tamale vendor whose last name is being withheld for her safety, said in Spanish. 

Some local governments have stepped up too; the city of Montebello launched a $100,000 relief fund in June.

Jacky, who sells Salvadoran pupusas and whose last name is also being withheld for her safety, said she moved after her home was damaged by the Eaton Fire in January. The money was especially helpful because her husband’s disability restricts his employment opportunities.

“People were very scared and stopped coming, so I had to close my business for basically an entire month because I wasn’t selling anything,” Jacky said in Spanish. “My biggest concern is for my children — they’re little kids. I don’t have anyone to leave them with if something happens to my husband or me.”

Organizers say the relief is critical for these people, but is not enough to sustain them in the long term as funds run dry and the flow of money slows.

“I think focusing on long-term policy changes that would protect people from the ICE raids would be next steps not just for us, but for everyone,” said Carmen Conde, an organizer with Pasadena for All.

Some vendors and day laborers are going back to work now despite ongoing immigration raids, while community groups are hoping to raise more money to help.

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