Vendors at Fresno swap meet take heavy losses after false rumors of ICE raid
The usually bustling Cherry Avenue Auction was noticeably quiet Saturday morning, as false rumors of an impending ICE raid at the swap meet kept hundreds of would-be shoppers home.
There were no sightings of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at the swap meet Saturday morning, despite a warning from Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias of an ICE raid targeting the Cherry Avenue Auction.
About a block from the swap meet, a man held a sign that read, “La migra está en el remate,” or “immigration is at the auction” in English. Many vendor stalls sat empty, and the crowd was noticeably smaller, with hundreds fewer people in attendance than usual.
Robert Brambila, a longtime vendor at the Cherry Avenue Auction, has been selling tarps, canopies, gloves, brooms, and other work gear for over 30 years. He told The Bee that swap meets are his only source of income, so the drop in attendance hit him hard.
“I don’t see the way I’m going to make any money out here today,” he said. “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.”
Brambila added that he doesn’t understand why Arias would say that ICE would be at the auction.
“I don’t think he has any business getting involved in the Fresno County area, especially when he’s inside City Hall,” he said. “This area has nothing to do with him.”
Devon Solis, another vendor at the swap meet whose family sells plants and clothing, echoed Brambila’s concerns.
“Seeing all the regulars that would never miss a Saturday not be here today is really sad. It’s heartbreaking,” she said. “If Arias just spread a rumor, he caused people to lose a lot of money today. He scared a lot of Mexicans away.”
The swap meet opened hours before thousands of demonstrators in Fresno were expected to take part in “No Kings Day” rallies protesting President Donald Trump.
The region’s undocumented residents have grappled with heightened fears of deportations since Border Patrol agents carried out a January operation in Kern County that led to 78 arrests. Many residents, local officials and immigration advocates have used social media as a bullhorn to warn of sightings of ICE or Border Patrol agents, though it’s often difficult to parse what is true or misinformation.
The Cherry Avenue Auction served as the latest example.
Arias said during last Thursday’s City Council meeting that ICE agents were planning a “massive immigration raid” at the flea market south of Fresno near the community of Easton.
“We have learned that this weekend, ICE is planning to engage in a massive immigration raid at the Cherry Auction in Fresno,” Arias said. “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.”
The warning quickly spread on social media. Antonio Ochoa, who was visiting the swap meet with his wife, told The Bee that he first heard that ICE could be at the auction on TikTok.
“I’m not scared because I’m documented, but if I wasn’t I wouldn’t be here today,” said Ochoa, who became a citizen with the 1986 amnesty passed under President Ronald Reagan.
The Cherry Avenue Auction is one of the Central Valley’s largest and oldest flea markets, known for drawing thousands of local residents each weekend to browse a wide range of vendors selling food, clothing, tools, and household goods.
The Cherry Avenue Auction said on social media that it had “no knowledge of any planned ICE raid at our facility” 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 auction’s statement read.
The auction urged customers “not to be swayed by fear or misinformation being circulated through various channels.”
Arias did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
This story was originally published June 14, 2025 at 11:35 AM.
