Justice
What L.A. Can Learn From Its Failed Experiment in Legalized Street Vending
It fizzled out 20 years ago, but the city can do better this time around.
Less than a month after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, the Los Angeles City Council decriminalized street vending. The timing was no coincidence.
The decision was a long time coming for both immigrant- and small-business advocates, who for decades had been pushing for legalization, but the presidential election was a clear galvanizing factor. In L.A., a sanctuary city, the majority of vendors are Central American immigrants who, if they’re undocumented, could face deportation for a misdemeanor charge under President Trump. L.A. City Councilman Jose Huizar described the move as “a sign to this Trump administration that we will not abide by his fear, his vilification, his scapegoating of immigrants.”