Senator Durazo and Immigrant Supporters Urge Legislators to Support Senate Bill 580 and 635

SACRAMENTO - Today, Senator María Elena Durazo (SD-26), alongside immigrant and community supporters, urged legislators to pass Senate Bill 580 (Durazo), Strengthening Immigrant Protection Response Guides, and Senate Bill 635 (Durazo), the Street Vendor Protection Act.  

California is home to over 10 million immigrants, representing 27 percent of the state’s population. Immigrant workers make up a majority of workers in key industries such as agriculture, construction, healthcare, hospitality, and domestic services. They pay billions in local, state, and federal taxes—yet they continue to face systemic barriers and threats to their communities.

Street vending is a cornerstone of California’s cultural and economic landscape, offering pathways to entrepreneurship—particularly for low-income and immigrant workers. For many vendors, street vending represents a critical first step toward financial independence and stability for their families.

SB 635, the Street Vendor Protection Act, ensures that street vendors receive necessary protections, preventing their sensitive information from being shared with immigration authorities. Without these safeguards, vendors may be forced to weigh the risks of selling food and goods against the fear of displacement or deportation.

Recent threats to immigrant communities have created widespread fear—forcing people to reconsider everyday activities like going to the doctor, school, work, or childcare based on concerns for their safety.

SB 580, Strengthening Immigrant Protection Response Guides, strengthens the Attorney General’s Office model policies and database guidelines for state and local agencies on civil immigration enforcement, ensuring that all Californians, regardless of immigration status, can access public services without fear.

“As the proud daughter of immigrant farmworkers, I know firsthand the value that immigrant communities bring to California. Immigrant men, women, and children continue to face the threat of family separation through deportation. The federal government has initiated aggressive and violent tactics that are terrorizing our neighborhoods,” said Senator María Elena Durazo. “That is why I have introduced SB 635 and SB 580. These two bills will help support our street vendor businesses and ensure that workers across the state are given the proper guidance. These bills ensure that community members deserve the right to access services and continue living without fear.”

“Street vendors are an essential pillar of our economy, our communities, and of the cultural fabric of California. This bill will help ensure that vendors across the state – who work to provide for their families and communities – can do their jobs with dignity, in peace, and without fear that their personal information will be used to harm them,” said the Senate Bill 635 co-sponsors in a joint statement (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, Community Power Collective, Inclusive Action for the City, Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, and Public Counsel). “Always, but especially in the face of the federal administration’s destructive and cruel attacks on immigrant communities, we are proud to co-sponsor the Street Vendor Business Protection Act and to work with Senator Durazo to champion these vital protections for street vendors.”

“In California, immigrants are a vital force driving the economy, enriching the culture, and strengthening the social fabric of the state. We are present everywhere, building homes, working hard, and contributing to the economy. However, we live with constant risk of the fear of deportation,” said John Hinestroza, a janitor and member of SEIU-USWW. “SB 580 can give us something fundamental back, a sense of place. This bill will help protect our data and our families. It will allow us to go to the doctor, to school, or ask for help without fearing that doing so might put us in danger. SB 580 is a concrete way of saying that the immigrant community deserves to live in peace, with dignity, and without persecution.”

Senate Bill 580 is currently in the Senate Appropriations Committee. Senate Bill 635 is now headed to the Senate Floor. For more information, please reach out to the Office of Senator Durazo.

###

Senator María Elena Durazo represents the 26th Senate District, which includes Boyle Heights, El Sereno, Highland Park, Eagle Rock, Glassell Park, Mt. Washington, Cypress Park, Lincoln Heights, Atwater Village, Elysian Valley, Arlington Heights, Echo Park, Silver Lake, Los Feliz, East Hollywood, Little Armenia, Thai Town, Larchmont, Koreatown, Pico-Union, Westlake-MacArthur Park, Historic Filipinotown, Chinatown, Little Tokyo, the Arts District, Civic Center, City Terrace, East Los Angeles, and the City of Vernon.