FONTANA, CA - DECEMBER 15, 2023: Food vendor Angelina Matias of Fontana forms homemade tortillas to make pupusas at her food stand off Sierra Avenue on December 15, 2023 in Fontana, California. Recently, she had all her food tossed and equipment confiscated by code enforcement. The city of Fontana just passed an ordinance contracting a third-party company for $600,000 to patrol and impound street vendors' equipment that lack the required permit.(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Los Angeles, California – In California, a growing number of community organizations are stepping in with an unusual offer for vulnerable street vendors: temporary financial relief in exchange for staying off the streets. The goal is simple—keep them safe from the widening net of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations sweeping across urban centers under President Donald Trump’s second term.
The initiative, first reported by NBC4 Los Angeles, involves local nonprofits and grassroots groups pooling resources to purchase vendors’ remaining inventory or provide rent support so they can avoid public exposure during targeted immigration enforcement actions. In cities like Los Angeles, South Gate, and Bell, groups like the Local Hearts Foundation and K-Town For All are coordinating efforts to provide protection to individuals living and working without legal immigration status.
One vendor, an elderly woman selling flowers, told organizers she had no choice but to continue working—she needed food. In response, community members collected $800 to cover her rent and convinced her to stay home. The exchange was more than financial. It was a message: her safety matters.
Andreina Kniss of K-Town For All described the desperation many vendors face. “We’ve seen the videos from all over Los Angeles—fruit vendors, car washers, flower vendors being taken off the side of the road,” she told NBC4.
The effort comes amid a dramatic escalation in ICE activity across the country. Following through on campaign promises, President Trump has directed immigration authorities to intensify operations, particularly in large Democratic-controlled cities. In a recent Truth Social post, he declared that ICE “must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America’s largest Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside.”
Since January, ICE raids have become increasingly visible and confrontational. Last week, protests erupted in Los Angeles following a series of high-profile arrests. Violent clashes between demonstrators and police resulted in dozens of injuries. Trump authorized the deployment of National Guard troops in response. California Governor Gavin Newsom, citing federal overreach and civil rights violations, has since filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration.
The tension on the ground is palpable. Many vendors say they feel trapped between the need to earn a living and the risk of deportation. An Instagram post from the Local Hearts Foundation captured the stakes: “We saw 3 street vendors today—fathers—out on the side of a highway, selling fruit in fear. Not fear of traffic. Fear of ICE. Fear of being snatched away for working.”
For organizers like Kniss, the work is as much about solidarity as survival. “L.A. is an immigrant town,” she said, “and we’re gonna protect them as best as we can.”
