The organizers of the Latino Sun Festival sent a letter to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), urging them to stay away from community festivals. They fear that an unannounced visit by federal immigration authorities could disrupt the annual event held in the city of Pilsen.
Over the past few months, the organizers have been working to educate migrants about their legal rights. The 53rd edition of the festival, organized by the nonprofit Pilsen Neighbors Community Council, is scheduled to run for a week and is expected to draw around 1.2 million participants, most of them migrants. The festival features a wide range of cultural and artistic activities, including art exhibitions, music performances, and local food vendors.
Local leaders held a press conference with the participation of elected officials, where organizers and community leaders voiced concern over the possibility of federal immigration officers making surprise appearances at the festival to target migrants. During the conference, the organizers stressed that since the beginning of the year, they have been working with local immigrant rights organizations to protect festival participants and raise awareness among migrants about their rights.
According to Brandon Lee, Communications Director at the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, organizers fear that immigration authorities could abduct migrants while attending the festival. Lee said, “ICE constantly adopts new tactics, and they are detaining more people than ever before. It’s no secret that they are focusing on parks and public spaces.”
The concerns of the Sun Festival organizers were fueled by a surprise visit from US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers to the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture. The visit took place just days before the start of a cultural festival featuring major celebrations of Latin culture, raising fears about the Sun Festival, which attracts a large audience of migrants.
The Department of Homeland Security denied that the visit was related to law enforcement. DHS Press Secretary Tricia McLemore issued a statement saying the officers were there to hold a brief meeting “prior to enforcement actions related to a drug investigation.”
Following the unexpected visit, elected local officials and immigrant rights advocacy groups pledged to push back against what they described as “intimidation by federal immigration agents,” declaring that “federal immigration agents are not welcome in Chicago.”
The organizers of the Sun Festival issued a press release stating, “Community celebrations, such as Fiesta del Sol, should be places of joy, not fear.”
This year’s festival is set to feature an immigration and citizenship fair, where immigrant legal service providers and community organizations in Chicago will share immigration information and provide legal support to migrants.
