Close to 200 street vendors were left without a means to make a living when Newark, N.J. city authorities refused to issue vendor licenses to undocumented workers.

The street vendors' licenses expired on April 30 despite assurances by the authorities that the licenses would be distributed at the last minute, which did not take place.

Police authorities, who are supposed to expedite the paperwork in this case, argued that an existing state provision requires an applicant's past arrest and criminal record be examined. This means the person must have documents showing legal residence in the country.

"Our situation is critical," pointed out Mexican Elvira Hernández, who sells flavored ices on the street. "I do not know how I will be able to get food for my two children. I am their sole support," she added.

Dozens of vendors of flowers, craft items, and hot dogs, among others, joined in this mother's complaint. They all agree that without that license, they will be left literally "on the street."

Damaris Rostran, a community organizer for New Labor ["an alternative model of worker organization … for low-wage, young, immigrant workers in central New Jersey"], indicated that since last year, when there was a similar situation that was worked out, "we have been preparing them as a group, to the point where they became quality vendors; they even obtained certificates under the federal training program in labor safety run by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

"We met with Deputy Mayor Margarita Muñiz who told us that the city could not do anything about this situation since it is a requirement issued by Trenton," Rostran stated.

In addition to the loss of their source of work, for many of the vendors, there was the loss of their merchandise. Bolívar Valdez points out that each vendor invests on average $5,000 stocking goods and buying ingredients to prepare food for sale. "That's money we cannot get back," he said.

"We are stuck in our houses and don't know what to do," added Cecilia Cabello, an ice cream vendor from Uruguay. "The police warned us that if they caught us selling with a suspended license, they would confiscate our carts and we wouldn't get them back," she stated.

At the close of today's edition, municipal authorities had not returned calls from this publication requesting comment on this situation.