Which US Cities Canceled Cinco de Mayo Parades Amid Immigration Crackdown
4 hours ago
2,370
Several major cities have canceled Cinco de Mayo celebrations because of increasing fears over President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration.
Why It Matters
Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican holiday that commemorates Mexico’s victory over Napoleon III’s French army in the Battle of Puebla in 1862. It has become a significant celebration of Mexican culture and heritage in the United States.
Trump, who returned to office in January, has vowed to carry out the largest mass deportation program in U.S. history, and his hard-line immigration crackdown has sparked fear within migrant communities.
Folklorico dancers from the group Viva Mexico performing their routine during a Cinco de Mayo celebration and mixer hosted by the Odessa Hispanic Chamber of Commerce at the Odessa Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in… Folklorico dancers from the group Viva Mexico performing their routine during a Cinco de Mayo celebration and mixer hosted by the Odessa Hispanic Chamber of Commerce at the Odessa Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Texas on May 5, 2021.
Odessa American via AP/Eli Hartman
What To Know
In Chicago, the annual Cinco de Mayo parade, which historically attracts thousands of revelers to the city’s vibrant Pilsen neighborhood, was officially called off after city officials expressed concerns about the safety of participants.
In south Philadelphia, the Carnaval de Puebla parade, which has been celebrated for decades, was also canceled amid fears of aggressive immigration enforcement.
The cancellations come as Immigration and Customs Enforcement ramps up deportation efforts to carry out stricter immigration policies nationwide.
In Flint, Michigan, local authorities canceled Saturday’s celebrations because of weather concerns.
The annual celebration—which was set to feature live music, authentic Mexican food, a mariachi band, family-friendly activities and vendors—was scheduled from noon to 8 p.m. on May 3 in Brush Park, hosted by the Latinx Technology and Community Center.
Detroit has resisted calls to cancel its Cinco de Mayo parade. Organizers in the city say they are determined to continue with the celebration despite fears of ICE enforcement. The city’s parade is set to take place in southwest Detroit, a historically Latino neighborhood, with local leaders emphasizing the importance of cultural expression and community solidarity.
Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, two cities known for their large Latino populations, have similarly vowed to keep their Cinco de Mayo celebrations intact. Despite fears of deportation raids, both cities are proceeding with their parades, though organizers are making additional safety measures available to protect participants.
What People Are Saying
Hector Escobar, the president of Casa Puebla and the Cermak Road Chamber of Commerce, told the Chicago Sun-Times: “People are afraid. They’re afraid to even go to work.”
He told ABC 7: “See, some of them, they don’t even want to go to work and some of them, they’ve taken a high risk. And, definitely, it’s not much to celebrate.”
Latinx Technology and Community Center wrote on Facebook: “We’re sad to share that, due to the forecasted inclement weather, we’ve made the difficult decision to cancel our Cinco de Mayo celebration. The safety and comfort of our community are always our top priorities, and we truly appreciate your understanding. We look forward to seeing you at our next community celebration.”
Mayor Melvin Carter of St. Paul, Minnesota, told Fox 9: “We’re staying on the alert, obviously, we’re staying vigilant. … We’ve been very clear that you’ll never see our St. Paul police officers serve as ICE agents, and that’s really critical to us as a community.”
What Happens Next
Cinco de Mayo celebrations are scheduled to take place across the U.S. on Monday.
Um die besten Erfahrungen zu bieten, verwenden wir Technologien wie Cookies, um Geräteinformationen zu speichern und/oder darauf zuzugreifen. Wenn Sie diesen Technologien zustimmen, können wir Daten wie das Surfverhalten oder eindeutige IDs auf dieser Website verarbeiten. Die Nichteinwilligung oder der Widerruf der Einwilligung kann bestimmte Merkmale und Funktionen beeinträchtigen.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
