{"id":740373,"date":"2026-04-20T07:21:12","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T07:21:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/740373\/"},"modified":"2026-04-20T07:21:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T07:21:12","slug":"chicago-cinco-de-mayo-parade-2026-canceled-due-to-fears-over-president-donald-trumps-immigration-enforcement-policies-organizers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/740373\/","title":{"rendered":"Chicago Cinco de Mayo Parade 2026 canceled due to fears over President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement policies: organizers"},"content":{"rendered":"

CHICAGO (WLS) — Chicago Cinco de Mayo festivity organizers said community fears over immigration enforcement policies from the Trump administration is leading them to cancel the annual parade once again.<\/p>\n

Organizers shared a statement with ABC7 Sunday, saying its festivities on the city’s Southwest Side have been canceled again this year after they took the same action last year<\/a>.<\/p>\n

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24\/7. Click here to watch<\/a><\/p>\n

Organizers said immigration policies from the Trump administration is still creating fear in the community, saying their decision to cancel the event is about safety .<\/p>\n

The historic Chicago parade, embracing Mexican heritage, is typically held the first week of May.<\/p>\n

“Our people are scared,” Hector Escobar, President of the Casa Puebla & Cermak Road Chamber of Commerce, said last year. “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.”<\/p>\n

Soon after Inauguration Day in 2025, Chicago became one of several so-called Sanctuary Cities in the U.S. targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Deportation efforts ramped up from the city to the suburbs, leaving some businesses in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, where the parade was expected to step off on Cermak Road, concerned.<\/p>\n

“We don’t want to have any confrontation or having people taken away from the festival, from the parade to custody,” Escobar said at the time.<\/p>\n

That concern caused nearly half of the events’ sponsors to drop out in 2025.<\/p>\n

“We could have done it with the 50% of the sponsorship, which is great, but it’s not, again, about money. It’s just more about the safety,” Escobar said at the time.<\/p>\n

The parade has a history of disruptions. It wasn’t held from 2018 to 2022 partially due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a series of disagreements between organizers and city officials. Two years ago, the parade was forced to reroute due to what police called gang violence<\/a>, resulting in multiple arrests.<\/p>\n

“At this point, we don’t know what is going to happen next year,” Escobar said last year.<\/p>\n

Organizers said last year they were hoping for the event’s return in 2026, but were prepared to cancel it if Trump’s immigration policies did not change. Now, they have made the decision to cancel again.<\/p>\n

Escobar released the following statement about the 2026 parade:<\/strong>
“The Cermak Road Chamber of Commerce and Casa Puebla regret to inform our community that, after careful consideration, yet again, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the 2026 Cinco de Mayo Parade and Festivities.<\/p>\n

“This decision comes in light of the challenges our Mexican community continues to face under this administration. Many families are experiencing fear and uncertainty due to increased immigration enforcement actions and the ongoing threat of raids.<\/p>\n

“Given these circumstances, members of our community have understandably withdrawn from public gatherings and celebrations. There is nothing to celebrate.<\/p>\n

“We remain hopeful that conditions will improve in the future, allowing us to once again come together in celebration of our culture and traditions. We look forward to continuing the Cinco de Mayo festivities for many years to come when our community can do so safely and with peace of mind.”
<\/p>\n

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