Jorge Cruz selling his “antojitos del mar” at the Hammer Museum in July 2023 (all photos courtesy Ruben Ochoa unless noted)LOS ANGELES — A beloved street vendor who has provided food to hungry crowds at LA art events over the past two years is at risk of deportation after his recent abduction by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Jorge Cruz came to the US from Mexico City at the age of five after the death of his grandmother and caretaker, and began street vending when he was 11. Over the past two decades, he has grown his solo business into a thriving enterprise, Del Mar Fruits and More, with 25 food carts and 10 employees who sell frutas, elotes, hot dogs, and aguas frescas throughout Santa Monica.In 2023, Cruz participated in Ruben Ochoa’s installation at Frieze LA, selling fruit to peckish fairgoers. It was the first of several collaborations between Cruz and Ochoa at cultural events, including KCRW’s concert series at the Hammer Museum and the Inner-City Arts Gala, both in 2023, and the 2024 Snapchat Summit. Ochoa views these culinary activations as a form of support and advocacy for street vendors and a way to showcase the critical yet undervalued role they play in LA’s cultural and financial economy.“As a child of tortilla vendors myself, I can attest to the strong work ethics of many in the vending community who have contributed vital and oftentimes underappreciated roles as providers of affordable quality foods,” Ochoa wrote in a letter of support for Cruz reviewed by Hyperallergic.“Even though street vendors are statistically more likely to be targeted, harassed, or physically harmed compared to a brick-and-mortar store, Jorge Cruz and many business owners like him continue to work long hours to support themselves and their families,” Ochoa continued. “ I support Jorge Cruz as a person and a small business owner, and in doing so, I support my city.”Jorge Cruz at Frieze LA with his son in February 2023. (The child’s face has been blurred to protect his privacy.) Erika Hirugami had invited Cruz to work at the upcoming reception for Concrete Hope, a photography exhibition she curated exploring diverse Latine and Indigenous identities, on October 14. In a call with Hyperallergic, she described Cruz as “essential to the arts community.”Then, on the morning of August 27, as Cruz and his wife Carmen were returning home from dropping their four kids off at school, they were confronted by approximately six ICE agents. “We were in our truck. One of their cars got in front of us, the other car got in back. ‘We have an order of arrest for Jorge Cruz,’ they said,” Carmen told Hyperallergic, recounting the incident. “[Jorge] was calm. They arrested him, put him in the car, and took him.” Cruz called his wife a couple of hours later to tell her that he was in a detention center in downtown LA. The next day, he was moved to a detention center in Adelanto, about 90 miles (~144.8 kilometers) northeast of Los Angeles, where he is still being held. ICE has not yet responded to Hyperallergic‘s request for comment.Carmen said she believes the reason for her husband’s abduction stemmed from a verbal altercation he had with another vendor several months ago. Police arrested both men, but the charges were dismissed.“He went to court, and they gave him a paper saying the case was never filed,” she said. “He had no criminal charges, he was happy.” Even so, this incident put a target on Cruz’s back, according to Mackenzie W. Mackins, an immigration attorney representing Cruz. “They don’t care if it’s dismissed. Any contact with law enforcement puts you at the top of the list,” Mackins told Hyperallergic. Ruben Ochoa, Alex Israel, and Jorge Cruz at the Snapchat Summit in 2024Cruz was undocumented when he arrived in the United States as a child, but was protected from deportation under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). He married Carmen, a US citizen, in 2014, and received his green card, which made him eligible to file for citizenship after three years. Mackins has been working with Cruz for years to help him become naturalized, but old arrests, mostly minor infractions related to unpermitted street vending, have made that difficult.“We’ve been fighting this battle for a long time,” she said, explaining that immigration authorities were already trying to pursue removal because of his past record. “Our argument is, ‘He’s here. He has children, a wife. What’s the point of dragging this on?’”Cruz is scheduled to have a bond hearing tomorrow morning, September 12. Mackins suggested that statements of support could help the case, and Hirugami started a letter-writing campaign in hopes of sending 200 letters to his lawyer to present in court. Those interested in attending Friday’s hearing at 8:30am PST can do so virtually.Jorge Cruz at the KCRW Concert Series at the Hammer Museum in July 2023 (photo by Josh Velasquez)However, due to recent changes to immigration law, anyone who entered the country illegally can be denied bond, according to Mackins. “He’s in a different category because he’s a lawful permanent resident,” she argued. “They should let him go back to his previous status, fighting his removal.”Cruz’s story may be distressing and maddening, but it is sadly by no means unique. Since Trump took office this year, ICE arrests have reportedly doubled, and the number of people in detention has reached record highs.“We see it firsthand — people trying to do the right thing to become part of the formal economy through pathways that advocacy groups have made possible,” Patrick Lennon of Revolution Carts told Hyperallergic. The company, which has partnered with Ochoa for several projects, manufactured the first-ever hot food push cart for vendors approved by the LA County Health Department in 2021, and counts Cruz among their first customers.“[We] see someone like Jorge going through the citizenship process, paying taxes, when all of a sudden they’re picked up and detained,” Lennon said.