NORTH LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Popular weekend swap meets in Nevada and Southern California are seeing a sharp decline in foot traffic as vendors report that recent immigration enforcement actions are keeping customers away.
WATCH | Swap meet vendors struggle as immigration fears keep customers away
At Broadacres Marketplace in North Las Vegas, vendor Marina Hernandez has noticed a dramatic drop in attendance that's threatening her small business and others.
"Unfortunately I'm seeing a lot of fear... we're being targeted because of just the way we look or the way that we speak, and that's unfortunate," Hernandez said.
Hernandez, who runs Memori.ES702 creating portraits in a '90s throwback style, says the once-bustling marketplace has become unrecognizable. What used to draw up to 20,000 visitors over a weekend has dwindled significantly.
"This past weekend I feel like we only had maybe the 100s come in... we usually stay open until 5 p.m., everybody was shutting down by like 12 o'clock," Hernandez said.
She attributes the decline to fear stemming from recent immigration enforcement actions in Southern Nevada.
"People are afraid to go out… they're being taken, they're kidnapped by ICE agents or people that are impersonating ICE agents," Hernandez said.
The concerns extend beyond undocumented immigrants, according to Hernandez.
"It's not just an immigration issue... it's also U.S. citizens — we're being targeted," Hernandez said.
Mark Delich, a policy expert with immigration reform group Forward U.S., explains that workplace enforcement actions typically target specific individuals but often result in what's called collateral detentions.
"There is usually a warrant for somebody and then when they go into that location, they have the ability and the right to check people's information. I think that's where a lot of the confusion is with it," Delich said.
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Similar concerns have emerged in Southern California, where vendors at Santa Fe Swap Meet near downtown Los Angeles have also reported major drops in attendance this month.
For vendors like Hernandez, confusion over immigration enforcement has created significant anxiety. She says many vendors are questioning whether they can afford to stay open.
"People like not even wanting to open… they're even afraid to go out into the street to drive or to get to me," Hernandez said.
The financial impact has been so severe that Hernandez admits, "I honestly haven't even wanted to look at my reports."
She fears the damage could be long-lasting for both businesses and the community.
"If you truly care about our city, about small businesses… we need you to care about immigration communities too," Hernandez said.
I've reached out to Broadacres Marketplace organizers to ask whether they've seen a decline in attendance and what steps they may be taking to support vendors. I'm also asking about any connection between Broadacres and the Santa Fe Swap Meet and will provide updates when they respond.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
