1 week ago
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FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - A rumored ICE raid astatine the Cherry Avenue Auction severely affected attendance, but immoderate accidental Councilmember Arias' determination to publically denote it was the close move.
On Thursday, June 12, Fresno City Council Member Miguel Arias said helium had learned of an impending raid of the Cherry Auction Swap Meet and warned undocumented radical not to go. The Cherry Auction refuted Arias' warning, saying they knew thing astir immoderate impending raid.
Nevertheless, vendors and customers astatine the Cherry Auction connected Tuesday said Arias and others connected societal media caused a ripple effect that resulted successful little attendance and income astatine the swap meet.
"Maybe $1,000?" Cherry Auction vendor Roberto said erstwhile asked however overmuch wealth helium mislaid owed to Saturday's deficiency of attendees.
According to Roberto, helium "wouldn't survive" if the driblet successful attendance was the aforesaid each Saturday going forward.
Cherry Auction customer, Eric Rollins, says helium has been going to swap meets since helium was a kid and often visits the Cherry Auction.
"Today is astir 25% oregon truthful of normal," Rollins said. "I recognize that immoderate of the fear, but I deliberation it's a small overblown."
"There's this misconception that ICE tin amusement up wherever it wants, whenever it wants," Rollins said. "The information is, they person to person a tribunal order."
Roberto echoed Rollins' sentiment, saying helium feels harmless astatine the Cherry Auction due to the fact that it's backstage property; helium says he's grateful to Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias for his warning, but helium can't contradict it caused fearfulness successful the undocumented community.
"As a nationalist servant - he's doing his job," Roberto said. "I'm hoping helium had bully intentions down it due to the fact that it affects everybody. It affects each of america retired here."
Another vendor, Gumaro, says he's been a vendor for the past 25 years. Although each medication brings caller fearfulness to the undocumented community, Gumaro says nary different medication has caused this much.
Gumaro feels the Trump medication is partially to blasted for the chaos felt successful the undocumented assemblage - but truthful is societal media.
"We didn't person societal media similar we bash now," Gumaro said. "It's each connected - You tin usage societal media, but usage it to assistance the community."
Rollins says that law-abiding immigrants, undocumented oregon not, bash not merit to beryllium intimidated.
"We're not seeing the humanity connected the 1 side," Rollins said. "Most of them privation to travel and articulation the American dream."
Rollins, a self-proclaimed "hardcore conservative," says that though helium whitethorn not beryllium blessed astir undocumented immigrants who person lived successful the United States for respective years and person not applied for citizenship, helium can't contradict the galore contributions immigrants person made.
"The American imagination tin beryllium accessed by anybody," Rollins said. "Seeing each other's basal humanity, having a conversation, it'll unfastened a batch of doors. It'll unfastened your eyes."
