Latino Festivals Across US Canceled Amid Immigration Crackdown
Also today: Meet the woman balancing budgets for NYC’s transit system, and more Americans are priced out of the housing market.
International parades and festivals are both community gathering spots but also sources of revenue for many cultural groups.
Photographer: Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images
Public celebrations play a vital role in preserving Latino heritage and cultural identity in US cities, especially those with large immigrant populations. However, amid rising fears over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement, numerous festivals across the country have been called off — from Pittsburgh’s first-ever local World Cup soccer tournament to Cinco de Mayo parades in Chicago and Philadelphia.
Some organizers and participants worry that such events could become targets for raids, as federal agents ramp up arrests of migrants. New analysis of federal data shows that over a third of those detained by ICE in July have no criminal records.