Opinion: Mayor Adams, it’s time to protect immigrant street vendors

Across New York City, from Roosevelt Avenue in Queens to Fordham Road in the Bronx, one thing is clear: street vending is a lifeline for working-class families. It is also one of the most visible expressions of immigrant entrepreneurship in our city. Yet, for decades, our laws have treated these vendors – overwhelmingly immigrants, women and people of color – not as small business owners, but as criminals.

That was supposed to end. The City Council passed Intro 47, a long-overdue step to bring equity, order and dignity to street vending. The bill passed with a veto-proof majority, yet the night before the legislation was set to become law, Mayor Eric Adams vetoed it.

Intro 47 would finally stop the criminalization of hardworking New Yorkers who are just trying to earn a living and put food on the table. And it would send a powerful message at a time of growing federal threats to immigrant communities: New York City protects the people who make our neighborhoods thrive. But Adams cares more about politics and currying favor with President Donald Trump than he does about protecting the smallest businesses in New York City and our immigrant communities.

Let’s be clear: no one should be sent to jail or put at risk of immigration consequences for serving tamales, halal food or fresh fruit to New Yorkers. But under the current law that Adams is fighting hard to protect, that’s exactly what is happening. Street vendors face up to three months in jail for vending without a license – a license they often cannot obtain due to a decades-old cap. These criminal penalties don’t improve public safety. They destroy lives.

This bill is personal for us. As Council members representing Jackson Heights and Elmhurst in Queens, Parkchester and Soundview in the Bronx – neighborhoods home to some of the most diverse immigrant communities in the country – we’ve seen firsthand how street vending sustains entire families and neighborhoods.

In the outer boroughs, where many immigrant vendors live and work, vending is often a first step toward economic independence. It allows parents to be home for their kids after school. It enables new arrivals to contribute to their communities and build something from the ground up. These vendors are not problems to be punished. They are part of the solution.

At a time when the federal government is ramping up its anti-immigrant rhetoric and hiring 10,000 more ICE agents, the stakes are higher than ever. A single misdemeanor can trigger immigration consequences. That’s why decriminalizing vending is not just economic justice – it’s immigrant justice.

Intro 47 is a critical first step toward creating a fairer, smarter street vending system. It ushers in a long overdue comprehensive, enforceable and well-regulated street vending system. This bill is the first in a broader package of legislation designed to bring the vendor economy out of the shadows and into compliance – for the benefit of vendors, neighbors and small businesses alike. By prioritizing and making Intro 47 law, the City Council is demonstrating bold leadership and compassion. We are choosing progress over punishment and fairness over fear. We are standing with immigrant families at a time when so many feel under attack.

The mayor’s veto does not change that. Our commitment to immigrant justice and economic fairness is unwavering – and so is the will of the City Council. We are prepared to override this veto and continue fighting for a system that recognizes vendors as workers and entrepreneurs, not criminals. This is about who we are as a city – and who we choose to protect.

This is what a strong and inclusive city looks like.

Let’s continue building a city where every New Yorker – no matter where they come from or what language they speak – has a right to work with dignity.