Sanctuary City cancels annual parade over fears of ICE raids

An annual Cinco de Mayo Parade in Chicago has been canceled because people in the sanctuary city are “scared” about the Trump administration’s illegal immigration crackdown.

The traditional parade celebrated on May 5 along with its related festivities on the city’s Southwest Side have reportedly been canceled because of President Donald Trump’s policies.

Hector Escobar, president of the Casa Puebla & Cermak Road Chamber of Commerce, told WLS that “Our people are scared.”

“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,” he added.

(Video Credit: ABC7 Chicago)

“Soon after Inauguration Day, 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,” WLS reported, noting that “nearly half” of the sponsors for the day’s events dropped out.

“We don’t want to have any confrontation or having people taken away from the festival, from the parade to custody,” Escobar said. “We could have done it with 50% of the sponsorship, which is great, but it’s not, again, about money. It’s just more about the safety.”

While organizers are planning to have the event return next year, Trump’s ongoing immigration policies may cause another disruption to their plans.

“At this point, we don’t know what is going to happen next year,” Escobar said.

Trump announced he is working on withholding funding to sanctuary cities and other locations.

No more Sanctuary Cities! They protect the Criminals, not the Victims. They are disgracing our Country, and are being mocked all over the World. Working on papers to withhold all Federal Funding for any City or State that allows these Death Traps to exist!!!

From Donald Trump… pic.twitter.com/W9Fat7AceW

— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) April 13, 2025

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson had vowed to block Trump’s efforts to remove those who illegally crossed the southern border.

“If he doesn’t want to help, get the hell out of the way,” border czar Tom Homan declared back in December. “If he knowingly harbors or conceals an illegal alien – I will prosecute him.”

CBS News reported that, according to the event’s organizers, the chamber of commerce “will lose about $1.5 million by cancelling this year’s parade.”

“Businesses that depend on the crowds to eat and shop will lose $5 million to $6 million,” the outlet noted, adding, “But the chamber pointed out that businesses in the community have already been losing money, some down 60% since Jan. 1.”

In a lawsuit against Chicago and Illinois, Justice Department Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate said the sanctuary policies and refusal to cooperate with ICE “have the purpose and effect of making it more difficult for, and deliberately impeding, federal immigration officers’ ability to carry out their responsibilities in those jurisdictions.”

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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.

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