Chicago's Cinco de Mayo parade has been cancelled due to rising fears of ICE raids, wrongful arrest and deportation within the Hispanic community.
Chicago's vibrant Hispanic community has reluctantly cancelled its annual Cinco de Mayo Parade, organisers have announced. The beloved cultural celebration, which typically burst with colours and attended by thousands, has fallen victim to the climate of fear spreading through immigrant neighbourhoods following US President Donald Trump's ongoing crackdown on illegal immigration. 'Our people are scared,' said Hector Escobar, President of the Casa Puebla & Cermak Road Chamber of Commerce, in a heart-wrenching interview with 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.' The decision wasn't financially motivated, Escobar stressed. '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 safety.' The decision to cancel the celebration was taken in the wake of raids by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in cities like New York, Boston, Denver, and Chicago where over 32,809 persons were detained till March. Chicago on Trump radar Since Donald Trump returned to the White House, his administration has intensified deportation efforts nationwide, with particularly aggressive tactics in so-called sanctuary cities like Chicago with locals, including US citizens being detained triggering scare among families who have become increasingly reluctant in community affairs. The Cinco de Mayo festivities are a nationwide affair, originating from the Mexican victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. The holiday has been reshaped into a day of cultural and ethnic pride for Mexican…