Vendors respond to fears of ICE raids after Broadacres Marketplace abrupt closure

Growing concerns over ICE enforcement across the country have prompted the abrupt closure of a popular North Las Vegas outdoor market.

Broadacres Marketplace in North Las Vegas has been a community staple for decades; however, after continuously welcoming vendors and visitors every weekend year after year, this past Saturday, growing concerns over possible ICE raids prompted vendors to shut down, leaving many in fear about the uncertainty of their businesses.

"People have been reaching out to us about the Broadacres closure with questions about safety at not just Broadacres, but just anywhere where large numbers of people gather, like grocery stores or parks,” said Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada (PLAN) Executive Director, Laura Martin.

Martin says, while Saturday’s abrupt closure of Broadacres Marketplace was not due to an ice raid itself, she says the possibility of it happening has instilled fear amongst many vendors and the thousands of weekly visitors alike.

“We haven’t seen any large-scale raids like we have seen in L.A. or like we have seen in the past, but we have seen targeted enforcement and people picked up in what is considered a collateral arrest, which means basically you are in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Martin says plan and other activist organizations have heard of growing fear amongst migrant communities, and after speaking with a couple of Broadacres Marketplace vendors, they tell me that fear is legitimate, causing many not to want to reveal their identities.

“Many of us were concerned and scared for our loved ones, so a lot of people stopped going, a lot of people stopped showing up, they stopped paying their stands, and a lot of people just started disappearing since 2-3 weeks ago,” said one v ednro who diodn not want to be identified.

That growing concern has some vendors saying, while they thank the marketplace for keeping their best interest in mind, they say the income they've relied on as vendors for years has come to a halt, leaving a revolving door of other growing concerns.

"Well, it affects me that the swap meet has closed, considering my payments, my debts, my rent, my car—who's going to pay for it? But it's good that it closed because I wouldn't like to see people being arrested or taken away. That's why I agree with the closure because, in a way, the swap meet is helping people protect themselves and keep us all safe,” added another vendor who did not wish to be identified.

“I think that they are kind of helping us by closing down so that we can avoid the situation all and all but it is also like a double-edged sword because there is no revenue or profits for either of us.”

For people too afraid or concerned to share their voice in public, Martin says she and other activists are calling on local leaders to step in.

“I think about the people in your community and the people that you serve, whether they can or cannot vote, they are your constituents, they contribute to our tax base, they contribute to our culture, they contribute and provide so much enrichment to our lives and so we can’t turn our backs on them and so our elected officials have to stand up and say what they are going to do. Are they willing to lose that piece of our community, or are they going to stand up and fight for it?”

In a post to social media over the weekend, Broadacres wrote, "We don't want any of our customers, vendors or employees to be detained at our business, or for us to be a beacon of shopping and entertainment while our federal government is raiding businesses and detaining its people."

Broadacres Marketplace has yet to announce a reopening date, but stresses the closure is temporary.