Merlin Alvarado is a fresh fruit vendor who, like many street vendors, finds herself between a rock and a hard place in the face of immigration raids.

“It’s very scary to work on the street because we can get arrested, but if we don’t go out, we don’t earn money, and to that, we must add that “Sales have dropped by almost 50%,” says Merlín, a Honduran mother who makes a living selling fruit on the streets of Hollywood.

“Since the raids began, we have almost no customers. Latinos are the ones who buy from us and consume our goods.”

So,” she says, “she is very worried because she has three children, ages 12, 8, and 3, who depend on her income.

“Fear has forced me to only go out and sell on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays; and luckily, the raids haven’t reached Hollywood,” she says.

The indiscriminate arrests of street vendors without due process and without any cause by masked immigration agents keep this community of workers terrified.

Street vendors are afraid to work, and those who risk it face low attendance.

For many vendors, a day of lost wages means not being able to put food on the table for their families.

“Every day they are arresting five to six vendors, but it can be as many as 10,” says Sergio Jiménez, senior community organizer with Street Vendor Justice.

“Vendors are very exposed to arrests because they work on the streets, and they don’t have time to react when they are kidnapped. And these are doñas (ladies) they take away. We’re not talking about ‘chavitos’ that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detains.”

He says that in addition to educating them about their rights, they are focusing on helping detained vendors pay bail and offering them legal representation.

“Through a multitude of resources, we are providing them with food supplies and help paying rent because in most cases,Their sales have dropped by 90%, and there is a noticeable absence of vendors on the streets of Los Angeles."

He adds that economic hardship has forced many vendors to send their children, who are American citizens, to tend their stalls.

Jiménez comments that street vendors are suffering from anxiety and going through a very intense mental drama.

"They are worried on many fronts. If they get caught, they need to have at least $5,000 ready for the lawyer, and another $5,000 for bail.”

The organizer recommends that street vendors strengthen their relationships with each other, unite, and support each other to resist ICE raids.

“To date in California, more than 1,600 immigrants have been arrested,” he says.

The Los Angeles Street Vendor Campaign opened the “Support street vendors impacted by ICE raids” account on the GoFundMe site to raise funds. Its goal is to raise $300,000 to support the many needs of street vendors, such as food, rent, and more.

Vendor advocacy organizations such as Community Power Collective, East LA Community Corporation, Inclusive Action for the City, and Public Counsel are participating in this effort.

“We anticipate a huge demand for resources.” and our goal is to help as many street vendors as we can,” they indicate.

On the GoFundMe page, they indicate that they are receiving more and more calls from street vendors and their families telling them that they are suffering financial problems due to the drop in sales.

“Many family members and friends are asking for support to identify vendors whose whereabouts are unknown.”

They reveal that they will continue collecting resources while the crisis and the raids by the Immigration and Customs Service continue.

Street vendors who need help can write to info@cpcollective.org; to support with donations to the campaign, visit the site: “Support street vendors impacted by ICE raids.”

Many families of street vendors have opened donation collection accounts on GoFundMe to help them sustain themselves for the next 30 days without having to go out to work, while the raids happen.

“The I am writing at a very difficult time for my family. My mother (Alma) is a hardworking, undocumented street vendor who supports herself entirely through her street vending. Currently, she usually sells during graduation season, which helps her get through the summer.

But due to the increase in ICE raids in our community, we have asked her to stay home for her own safety. Like many street vendors,She is at high risk and incredibly vulnerable right now.

“While protecting her is the priority, this also means she is losing the only source of income she relies on. We are trying to raise enough funds to support her for the next 30 days so she can stay safe without the added stress of having to deal with financial hardship.”

To help Alma, visit the site: “Support street vendor and family during these ICE raids.”