Betty, a nickname, is a Senegalese asylum seeker in New York who arrived in the United States in 2023 via the so-called Senegal–Guatemala route.

Nov. 22 , 2025 - Betty sent me a video and a voice message saying, “ICE is on Canal. I’m going home. ICE came and arrested a Senegalese man over there.”

Her dream now is to rent a room of her own. She currently lives in a shared apartment in the Bronx with seven Senegalese men.

She began selling accessories on Canal Street after Senegalese friends told her that street vending could bring in far more income than the low-paid jobs she had been taking. Before vending, Betty worked in dishwashing, painting and cleaning, earning as little as $20 to $50 a day. Betty often looks at her hands and says they have grown rougher since she arrived in the United States.

The winter of 2025-2026 was especially difficult for her. After an ICE raid on Canal Street on October 21, 2025, Betty says her sales dropped sharply. Fear of arrest over counterfeit goods pushed her to switch from selling accessories to preparing tea at night and selling it for $1 to fellow vendors the next day.

She struggled to pay rent, put food on the table and send money home to support her family. She was also trying to save money for asylum-related costs.

Canal street, February 2026 — Betty says her previous jobs paid only $20 to $50 a day, making it difficult to cover living expenses, save for asylum-related expenses and send money home.

She says they have grown rougher since she arrived in New York and began taking whatever jobs she could find, including dishwashing, painting and cleaning.

Canal street, February 2026 — Tea sold by Betty. She says fears of arrest over counterfeit goods, along with the winter cold, led her to switch from selling counterfeit accessories to selling tea to fellow vendors.

Bronx, February 2026 — Betty heads home to the Bronx after work on Canal Street.

Bronx, February 2026 — Betty prepares tea at her apartment in the Bronx at night for sale the next day.

Bronx, February 2026 — Betty prays while preparing tea at her apartment in the Bronx for sale the next day.

Bronx, February 2026 — Betty lives in an apartment in the Bronx with seven othe

She says her sales dropped sharply after the ICE raid on Canal Street on October 21, 2025, and remained lower as of Saturday, November 15, 2025.