A preferred out of doors flea market in California was left empty after a false rumor about an Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid was unfold by a Fresno metropolis councilmember and spun uncontrolled on-line — ruining the weekend for a lot of distributors who rely in the marketplace for earnings.
Fresno Councilmember Miguel Arias warned of an impending ICE raid on the Cherry Avenue Public sale, which generally attracts hundreds of locals every weekend, throughout a council assembly on Thursday.
“We have learned that this weekend, ICE is planning to engage in a massive immigration raid at the Cherry Auction in Fresno. So, I would advise our immigrant community to stay away from the Cherry Auction this weekend, as they could be putting themselves and their families at risk of being picked up,” Arias stated.
The warning was sufficient to place many residents of Fresno and Easton, the neighborhood that hosts the market, on excessive alert.
Many heard Arias’ warnings repeated on TikTok, and one man stood a few block from the market over the weekend holding an indication studying “La migra está en el remate,” or “immigration is at the auction” in English, The Fresno Bee reported.
Even so, the Cherry Avenue Public sale insisted that it had “no knowledge of any planned ICE raid” and had “not been notified of any such action.”
“We are also aware of recent public comments by Councilmember Miguel Arias, claiming to have knowledge of an ICE raid at our location. Since Cherry Avenue Auction is located within Fresno County jurisdiction — not the city of Fresno — we find it puzzling and offensive that a city councilmember would claim to possess such information,” the public sale wrote in an announcement.
Many distributors had been disillusioned by the small turnout on the often packed swap meet and struggled to fathom how they’d complement the misplaced earnings because the market drew to a detailed.
“I don’t see the way I’m going to make any money out here today. This is my main source of income and today is one of the most important days of the week for me, so it’s really affecting me,” Robert Brambila, who has bought out of doors work gear at the marketplace for three a long time, advised The Bee.
Different distributors echoed Brambila’s sentiments — and struggled to know Arias’ decision-making.
“If Arias just spread a rumor, he caused people to lose a lot of money today. He scared a lot of Mexicans away,” Devon Solis, a vendor who sells vegetation and clothes along with her household, advised The Bee.
Within the wake of the market’s washout weekend, Arias surmised that the ICE raid didn’t happen due to the immigrant neighborhood “exercising precaution” following his warnings.
“Please continue sharing ICE activity taking place in your area, as it has become the best way to keep each other safe during President Trump’s cruel ICE raids,” Arias wrote on Fb.
