Cinco de Mayo parade in Little Village canceled for second year as immigration enforcement concerns persist

For the second year in a row, the annual Cinco de Mayo parade in Little Village has been canceled due to immigration enforcement concerns, organizers said.

The parade typically draws hundreds to the neighborhood and celebrates Mexico's victory over Napoleon III’s French army in the Battle of Puebla in 1862. But this year, Chicago's Mexican community is still on edge in the wake of "Operation Midway Blitz," the aggressive deportation campaign the Trump administration launched across the Chicago area last fall.

"Many families are experiencing fear and uncertainty due to increased immigration enforcement actions and the ongoing threat of raids," organizers with the Cermak Road Chamber of Commerce and Casa Puebla said in a statement.

People are still avoiding public gatherings out of fear, organizers said, adding, "there is nothing to celebrate."

The event was canceled last year, too, for similar reasons.

"It was a difficult decision to make, but the safety of our community is more important,” organizer Hector Escobar told the Sun-Times last year.

Since then, Chicago and the suburbs were targeted by masked federal agents, who detained residents while at times deploying chemical irritants like tear gas. Widespread protests and grassroots efforts to protect immigrants followed. The ramped-up enforcement actions eventually waned, but the impact to Latino communities like Little Village, Pilsen and the Southeast Side has lingered.