At Richmond’s weekend flea market, vendors say foot traffic hasn’t just slowed this fall, it’s cratered. They blame fear, not COVID: shoppers from nearby immigrant neighborhoods are staying home after federal immigration operations were announced, leaving stretches of empty tables and plunging sales.
Market manager Noel Lopez said rented vendor spots dropped from roughly 380 after pandemic restrictions were lifted to about 225 now. Last year, a crowded Sunday could draw as many as 6,000 people; these days, typical weekend turnout hovers around 1,000. Vendors said the Oct. 26 market was nearly empty. Those figures and interviews with multiple sellers were documented by Richmond Confidential.
The jitters date back to late October, when U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents were stationed at the Coast Guard base in Alameda. This deployment drew protests and heavy scrutiny. As reported by The Associated Press, CBP and other federal agents arrived on Oct. 23, and local leaders warned the move would alarm immigrant communities. The San Francisco Chronicle also documented how Richmond residents began avoiding stores, doctors, and weekend gatherings amid the heightened enforcement activity…