Mayor Eric Adams on late Wednesday night vetoed a City Council bill that would have eliminated all criminal enforcement for licensed street vendors as well as misdemeanor penalties for unlicensed sellers — just hours before his deadline to do so.
“Since day one, our administration has been committed not just to making New Yorkers safe, but to making them feel safe, too — and that includes addressing persistent quality-of-life issues like illegal street vending,” Adams said. “We cannot be so idealistic that we’re not realistic — preventing the brave men and women of the NYPD from intervening, even in the most egregious cases, is unfair to law-abiding business owners and poses real public health and safety risks.”
The bill, introduced by Councilmember Shekar Krishnan (D-Queens), passed on June 30 with a 40-member majority — enough to override a veto. It came as the number of criminal tickets related to street vending has skyrocketed under the Adams administration. Vendors, however, could continue to receive civil tickets for time-place-manner violations under the bill.
Vendors have previously told THE CITY they received criminal tickets for violations such as failing to display their permit while still setting up shop, operating within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, or selling in prohibited commercial zones.
Those criminal charges can negatively impact immigration proceedings for street vendors, 96% of whom are born outside of the U.S, according to a 2024 survey.
Meanwhile, immigration arrests have skyrocketed across the five boroughs as Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to hire 10,000 new agents unlocked by new federal funding.
“In the dead of night, Mayor Adams did Donald Trump’s bidding by vetoing my legislation that protects our immigrant small business owners, who are simply trying to provide for their families, from jail time and immigration consequences,” Krishnan said.
The NYC Street Vendor Justice Coalition added in a statement: “At a time when the Trump administration has increased fear for immigrants within our communities, it is unconscionable that Mayor Adams has chosen to veto Intro 47.”
The Council will have until the end of August to take a vote to override Adams’ veto.
“Mayor Adams’ veto is yet another example of him supporting Trump’s agenda over New Yorkers,” said Council spokesperson Julia Agos. “The Council will consider its next steps to protect our city from a mayor willing to put his own political needs over people and sound policy that keeps us all safe, with access to opportunity.”
