San Diego ICE Raids: Worker Uncertainty
- Recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in San Diego have created anxiety among street vendors and food industry employees.
- A video from May 27 showed ICE agents questioning a woman with a hot dog cart outside Petco Park.
- “Othre vendors have said, what if this happens to us?
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in San diego are igniting fear and uncertainty among the city’s street vendors. Recent ICE operations near petco Park have left vendors like Celsa Martinez, who was questioned by ICE agents, worried about their safety and livelihoods. Immigration consultant Adrian Espinoza warns of potential negative economic impacts on local businesses and the tourism sector. The situation has many questioning the targets of immigration enforcement. As the situation unfolds, some are considering quitting their jobs. News Directory 3 is following this story as it develops. Discover what’s next for San Diego’s street vendors and how they plan too move forward.
ICE Raids Spark Fear Among San Diego Food Vendors
Updated June 02, 2025
Recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in San Diego have created anxiety among street vendors and food industry employees. The increased ICE activity has vendors questioning their safety and future.
A video from May 27 showed ICE agents questioning a woman with a hot dog cart outside Petco Park. Witnesses identified the woman as Celsa Martinez. Following the incident, many vendors have become fearful of similar encounters, according to one vendor who spoke to NBC 7 and requested anonymity. He expressed concern about the potential impact on his ability to provide for his family.
“Othre vendors have said, what if this happens to us? What are we going to do? We can’t be there anymore?,” the vendor said.
Immigration consultant Adrian Espinoza said San Diego’s tourism economy relies on immigrant workers. He suggested that these ICE operations could negatively affect local businesses.
“We have a lot of immigrant cooks, a lot of immigrant servers, a lot of immigrant bussers, what’s going to happen you know is we might have a financial issue and then also more people are going to be more afraid to show up to work,” Espinoza said.
The anonymous vendor said some of his colleagues are considering quitting their jobs due to the uncertainty. Espinoza also noted confusion regarding the Trump Administration’s targets for immigration enforcement.
“Before, during the elections, they were pointing out that the bad guy was the undocumented immigrant that was here who had prior history. Now, we don’t know who that person is, we don’t know who that target is,” Espinoza said. “We don’t know if it’s a regular cook who came in with a humanitarian parole from Venezuela, or a server who came in under a political asylum claim from Mexico.”
Espinoza advises individuals to be aware of their constitutional rights. he added that U.S. citizens have the right to protest during an ICE raid, but cautioned against obstruction of justice.
What’s next
The situation remains tense for San Diego’s street vendors and food industry workers as they navigate the uncertainty surrounding ICE activity and its potential impact on their livelihoods and the local economy. Further monitoring of ICE operations and community responses is anticipated.