A D.C. street vendor with permanent residency status described living in fear of having an interaction with immigration officers.
Matea, who is originally from El Salvador, said she has been selling products from a stand on 14th Street in Columbia Heights for five years. Since the deployment of the National Guard and surge of federal authorities in the nation’s capital, her sales have gone down drastically, she said.
Before on a good sales day, she would sell perfume, shirts and keychains, she said. Now, on her best days she only manages to sell a couple of perfume bottles.
In the past few weeks, Matea has seen fewer business owners and fewer customers in the area, she said. Even business owners who have permanent status in the U.S. don’t want to go there to sell anymore because they are not making enough profit to pay for their transportation, Matea said.
She said she is not making any profit, but losing money she’s invested in buying inventory.
While her business struggles to stay afloat, she said she feels a wave of panic at the thought of a possible interaction with immigration authorities despite her permanent residency. She said she’s seen multiple people detained in the area.
News4/Telemundo 44 asked ICE about fear in the Hispanic community in connection to recent activity in and is awaiting a response. Previously, ICE shared a statement saying, “Those who are not here illegally and are not breaking other laws have nothing to fear.”
Meanwhile, Matea may close her business once she sells her remaining inventory if the situation does not improve.
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