Immigration Fears Forced Mr. Diablito Off His Corner in Santa Ana, But Not Out of the Community

Cynthia Rebolledo
15 hours ago
5 min read

José Rodríguez has sold fruit from the same corner in downtown Santa Ana for 35 years.

José Rodríguez stands with his fruit cart on the corner of Fourth and Bush streets. Photo by Cynthia Rebolledo, Culture OC

It’s morning, and the corner of Fourth and Bush streets in downtown Santa Ana, where José Rodríguez has stood with his fruit cart for the past 35 years, sits empty.

On June 10, the local frutero, who goes by “Mr. Diablito” on Instagram, announced his absence “hasta nuevo aviso” (until further notice) in a post. That day, President Donald Trump had sent the National Guard to Los Angeles and Santa Ana to post up in front of federal buildings in the wake of protests against immigration raids across Southern California.

In Los Angeles, the blockade happened in buildings far away from commercial districts. In Santa Ana, it was in front of the Reagan Federal Building located on Fourth Street, the historic heart of Latinos in Orange County.

“It’s terrible – they’re separating families and persecuting us for the color of our skin,” Rodríguez said. He’s a green card holder and a permanent resident. “I made the decision to not come out due to sadness and fear that they would come and arrest me. They are not asking people for their identification. They just grab you and take you.”

Community members began to flood the vendor's DM’s in response to Rodríguez’s Instagram post with words of support and reaching out for ways to help.

One of those people was Delilah Snell. She owns Alta Baja Market, a bistro and store that sells foodstuffs, spirits and products from both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border and is located across the street from Rodríguez’ fruit cart.

“I was super upset when I didn’t see him in his corner – he's a fixture and integral part of this street, " Snell said. “He’s such a sweet person. I had to do something for him.”

The day Rodríguez announced his pause, Snell approached him with a proposal: Sell your fruit cups at Alta Baja. So every morning, Rodríguez or his children will show up with an array of them – freshly cut pineapples, watermelon, mango, strawberries or a medley of all three – and Snell pays for them upfront. They immediately became best-sellers, and motivated Rodríguez to slowly make his way back to his cart a few days a week.

PHOTO 1: Delilah Snell, left, with José Rodríguez at Alta Baja Market in Santa Ana. PHOTO 2: Mr. Diablito fruit cups for sale at Alta Baja Market in Santa Ana. Photos by Cynthia Rebolledo, Culture OC

The widespread sweeps have sent street vendors into hiding, choosing safety over economics.

Organizations like the Orange County Rapid Response Network (OCRRN) — a coalition of community organizers, lawyers and immigration advocacy groups — are offering aid in the form of vendor buyouts.

“People are starting to see that community defense is powerful — we were able to buy out 20 vendors,” said Sandra De Anda, director of policy and legal strategy for OCRRN. “It’s a very difficult time but it's very beautiful to see that people are willing to figure out their role in all of this and protect their community.”

“I’m very grateful for (my regulars),” Rodríguez said. He’s soft spoken, with expressive eyes and a beard of silver hair that frames his warm smile. “We all leave our countries in search of a better way of life. All the people that come here come to fight for their dreams.”

The 59-year-old came to the United States in 1990 from the Mexican state of Morelos at age 24. His first job in el Norte was helping an uncle with yard maintenance. Shortly after, Rodríguez’s father-in-law invited him to join the family-owned business on La Cuatro.

“My father-in-law and my mother-in-law taught me everything about the business. It’s all thanks to them,” Rodríguez said.

He has fond memories of his early days, when the downtown district was a hub not just for local Latinos but from all across Southern California.

“You would see crowds of people. And here on La Cuatro you would find everything,” he remembered. “People would come to buy their shoes, cut their hair, buy a sombrero, purchase some boots or tennis shoes and get food at a restaurant with the whole family. People would spend their day here.”

He paused for a bit. “Then the changes started happening, and people stopped coming because they could no longer find the goods or stores that they used to frequent.”

Rodríguez is referring to the gentrification that has slowly changed La Cuatro from an immigrant hub to one where businesses that catered specifically to them – travel agencies, botánicas, curio shops and beer bars – were replaced by coffee shops, barber shops, restaurants and cocktail bars geared toward a more affluent, assimilated base.

PHOTO 1: The SAUSD GAP mural unveiled in May of 2025 is located on the top level of the parking structure on Fifth and Main streets. PHOTO 2: A close up of José Rodríguez “Mr. Diablito” in the mural. Photos by Cynthia Rebolledo, Culture OC

“Even after all the changes it's really nice to still see him part of the community. He’s a core memory for me,” said 33-year-old Alex Sanchez. The muralist has been a customer since his mother took him to get his first prepared fruit cup when he was 6 years old. Now, he takes his 7-year-old son, Matteo to do the same.

“To this day, my go-to order is still the vaso (cup) de fruta that comes with watermelon, mango and coconut. I ask for limon. A little bit of Tajín and a lot of Tapatío.”

Sanchez, who also goes by his artist name “Sincero,” is the lead mural coordinator for Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD)’s Graffiti Art Prevention (GAP) program, which bridges street art with mentorship and community impact. For the first project, Sanchez included “Mr.Diablito.” It was unveiled in May 2025 and is located on the top level of the parking structure on Fifth and Main streets.

“Jose represents perseverance,” Sanchez said. “He’s been part of the community for three decades now and even with everything going on with politics – he’s still here and not giving up.”

Although Rodríguez has returned to his corner with his cart, he remains cautious and is taking the days that follow one day at a time.

“Our people always move forward regardless of any obstacles that are put in front of us and we will get through this as well,” Rodríguez said. “For me, it’s my duty to be out on the street.” Standing tall under the shade of his red striped umbrella. He gazed down the street.

“What I’m worried about are the customers that I haven’t seen since this all started. I’m worried about their well-being and their families.”