Since the influx of a large number of illegal immigrants into New York City last year, minors selling candy in subway cars has become a common sight. Recently, Mayor Adams announced that the city government will send people to distribute flyers in subway stations to prevent Hispanic immigrant children from selling candy in subway stations or on the streets. However, many people have expressed opposition to this on social media, questioning whether those who are capable of committing “illegal entry” would care about “illegal vending” as well.
These street vendors are sometimes young children and sometimes their mothers, selling bags of candy for $2 each, claiming it is to help with household expenses. While this phenomenon existed on subways before, it has become more prevalent with the influx of illegal immigrants. New York City had not intervened in this practice before.
The Department of Homeless Services, the Police Department, and the MTA are responsible for distributing flyers, informing illegal immigrants that such vending is “illegal” and may result in fines.
Since this behavior violates many laws in New York City, including the requirement for all children aged 6 to 16 to attend school and the absence of permits for these sales activities, efforts have been made to address the issue of children selling goods in the subway instead of going to school.
Although the city government claims that their flyers are multilingual, many people on social media doubt their effectiveness.
For example, on Reddit, someone wrote, “Their signs won’t stop me because I can’t read.” Another person commented, “This is a waste of resources, you’re telling ‘illegal entrants’ not to ‘illegally’ sell candy”; while someone else pointed out, “These candy sellers are better than homeless people directly asking you for money in your face”; and another mentioned, “Why ban selling candy? Go deal with the mentally ill people pushing others onto the tracks.”
This issue has sparked a debate among New Yorkers, with some questioning the effectiveness of the city’s approach while others express concern about the underlying challenges faced by both the immigrant community and the homeless population in the city. The efforts to address this situation continue amidst ongoing discussions and debates about the best course of action.