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California lawmaker seeks to protect street vendors’ personal data from ICE
A fruit vendor sells on Whittier Boulevard in East L.A.
(
Andrew Lopez
/
Boyle Heights Beat
)
A new bill aims to protect the rights and privacy of California street vendors from being handed over to federal immigration enforcement agencies.
Senate Bill 635 , the Street Vendor Protection Act, was recently introduced by Democratic Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, who represents Boyle Heights and other Eastside neighborhoods of Los Angeles.
“Street vendors are pivotal to California’s culture and economy, and nationally they have been huge contributors to their communities. Now more than ever, California must come together to uplift and empower micro businesses across the State,” Durazo said in a press release.
The bill will:
- Prevent immigration enforcement agents from accessing street vendor data collected by local governments
- Prohibit local sidewalk vending permitting programs from inquiring into immigration or citizenship status, or requiring invasive fingerprint background checks
- Prohibit local sidewalk vending enforcement officers from using their resources to support federal immigration enforcement
Inclusive Action for the City, a Boyle Heights-based economic justice group one of the co-sponsors of the bill, said the bill strengthens data privacy and immigration status during the threat of mass deportations from the Trump administration.
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“With this step, California can continue to support the street vendors who power our communities,” the group wrote in a press release .
“The street vendors who sustain our neighborhoods and local economies are vulnerable to cruel and unjust immigration enforcement that threatens to separate families, disrupt communities, and endanger lives,” said Doug Smith, vice president of policy and legal strategy at Inclusive Action. “SB 635 will add necessary protections to ensure that California’s local street vending programs remain tools of economic inclusion and opportunity, not fear and division.”
Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), Community Power Collective (CPC) and Public Counsel are also among the list of co-sponsors.
California lawmakers could consider the bill as early as
March 23
.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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