SACRAMENTO, CA, June 4, 2025—Yesterday, the California Senate voted to pass SB 635, known as the Street Vendor Business Protection Act, aimed at safeguarding vendors’ personal data from being used by federal agencies for immigration enforcement. The bill is authored by Senator Maria Elena Durazo (D – Los Angeles) and co-sponsored by a coalition of immigrant rights and economic justice groups throughout the state.

The bill passed with a vote of 28 Senators in support. The legislation will advance to the Assembly before going to the Governor’s desk for signature later this year.

Co-sponsor organizations include the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), Community Power Collective, Inclusive Action for the City, the Inland
Coalition for Immigrant Justice, and Public Counsel, along with a growing coalition of advocates representing immigrant communities, street vendors, and entrepreneurs across the state.

When it becomes law, SB 635 will:

• Prevent immigration enforcement agents from accessing street vendor data collected by local governments;
• Prohibit local sidewalk vending permitting programs from inquiring into immigration or citizenship status, or requiring invasive fingerprint background checks;
• Prohibit local sidewalk vending enforcement officers from using their resources to support federal immigration enforcement. 

“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. “Thank you to the California State Senators who supported the bill on the Senate Floor. SB 635 ensures street vendor entrepreneurs have rights and can continue living and working without fear.”

Advocates across California echoed their strong support for this victory:

Ofelia Ruiz, a Los Angeles Street Vendor, expressed joy and relief about the vote. “I’m overjoyed to hear of this advance because it gives us a glimmer of hope amidst the terror that we’re living under an administration that constantly puts immigrants in danger.” Ofelia has been organizing with Community Power Collective and the Los Angeles and California Street Vending coalitions for more than a decade, playing a critical role in helping pass SB 946 and SB 972. She thanked the Senate for supporting her safety and that of thousands of vendors who are working to serve and uplift their communities. “I look forward to continuing to work with our representatives to make California safer and more welcoming for all.”  

“CHIRLA is pleased that SB 635 (Durazo) passed the Senate Floor and will provide privacy and confidentiality protections for California’s street vendors,” stated Angelica Salas, Executive Director of CHIRLA. “Street vendors play a vital role in our economy, and we must protect workers from unwarranted immigration enforcement to ensure that key protections are extended to prevent family separation and disruption to our communities.”

“By protecting street vendors’ confidential information from those who seek to remove them from their work, their communities, and their families, SB 635 encourages vendors to continue their contributions to our local economies, to California’s cultural identity, and to community safety,” said Sergio Jimenez, Lead Organizer for Street Vendor Justice at Community Power Collective. “Yes, this vote is about ensuring street vendors can work in safety and dignity, but it’s also about protecting their ability to nourish their communities through providing accessible foods and other basic necessities.”

“For generations, street vendors have been an integral part of our economy and culture – and our public servants have a duty to protect immigrant vendors in California as the Trump administration accelerates its anti-immigrant attacks,” said Shannon Camacho, Senior Associate of Policy, Inclusive Action for the City. “We look forward to ensuring SB 635 becomes law.”

“The passage of SB 635 from the Senate floor is a powerful step forward in protecting the dignity and safety of immigrant street vendors across California,” said Eddie Torres, Policy Director, Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice. “For too long, our communities in the Inland Empire have lived with the fear that something as simple as selling food or goods to support their families could lead to detention or deportation. This bill sends a clear message: local governments should not be pipelines to ICE. We applaud Senator Durazo for her leadership and urge the Assembly to move swiftly to ensure this critical protection becomes law.”

“Street vendors contribute so much to our communities, but are currently facing extreme hardship due to the new administration’s immigration and economic policies,” said Ritu Mahajan, Directing Attorney, Public Counsel. “The passage of SB 635 illustrates our state’s commitment to vendors, and respect for their humanity and dignity. It validates that vendors are an integral part of our ecosystem and should not be at risk of deportation simply because they are trying to make a living and provide for their families. We thank Senator Durazo for continuously championing California street vendors and the Senate for ensuring we are doing all we can to protect vendors in this political climate.”

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About Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles

The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) was founded in 1986. CHIRLA is a California leader with national impact made of diverse immigrant families and individuals who act as agents of social change to achieve a world with freedom of mobility, full human rights, and true participatory democracy. CHIRLA’s mission is to achieve a just society fully inclusive of immigrants.

About Community Power Collective 

Community Power Collective (CPC) is on a mission to build power with low-income tenants and workers through transformative, cross-sectoral organizing to win economic justice, community control of land and housing, and to propagate systems of cooperation in Boyle Heights, East LA and the greater Los Angeles area.

About Inclusive Action for the City

Inclusive Action is a nonprofit community development financial institution (CDFI) and economic justice organization based in Boyle Heights and serving communities throughout Los Angeles County. Inclusive Action’s mission is to serve underinvested communities and build thriving local economies by improving access to transformative capital, and advancing policy through collaborative research and community-driven advocacy.

About Inland
Coalition for Immigrant Justice

The ICIJ is composed of over 35 organizations that serve the immigrant community in the Inland Empire. The IC4IJ currently focuses on advocacy, changing the narrative, and capacity building. The coalition engages in policy advocacy, community organizing and education, and rapid response to ICE and border patrol operations. The IC4IJ also provides resources such as training, technical support, and grants to coalition partners to further support their efforts and mission in the region.

About Public Counsel

Public Counsel is a nonprofit public interest law firm dedicated to advancing civil rights and racial and economic justice, as well as to amplifying the power of our clients through comprehensive legal advocacy. Founded on and strengthened by a pro bono legal service model, its staff and volunteers seek justice through direct legal services, promote healthy and resilient communities through education and outreach, and support community-led efforts to transform unjust systems through litigation and policy advocacy in and beyond Los Angeles.