Politics
Chicago Organizers, Officials Call on ICE to Keep Away From Fiesta del Sol and Other Community Events
Fiesta del Sol co-chair Juana Medina speaks at a news conference on July 28, 2025. (WTTW News)
Chicago organizers and local officials are calling on federal immigration agents to stay out of community events, days ahead of the Fiesta del Sol festival in Pilsen.
Community leaders on Monday demanded that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) refrain from targeting neighborhood celebrations in Chicago.
“It’s unfortunate there has to be this fear around federal immigration enforcement,” said Beatriz Ponce de León, Chicago’s deputy mayor of immigrant, migrant and refugee rights. “We come together to say firmly that people should reject the negative attacks that are coming from our federal government, that we will protect each other and will take care of each other. And that’s what makes Chicago such a great city.”
Those statements come weeks after federal agents descended on Humboldt Park’s National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture in what officials there claimed was a show of “bullying and intimidation” of Chicago immigrants days ahead of the Barrio Arts festival.
Federal officials maintain that had nothing to do with immigration enforcement and was instead related to a separate narcotics investigation. But the incident raised concerns from community members that ICE was preparing to raid community events.
“Instead of canceling or just being in fear and stopping these important celebrations, it’s important for us to stand together and to denounce ICE for threatening to come into these places that should be safe for our families,” said Jennifer Aguilar, executive director of the Little Village Chamber of Commerce.
President Donald Trump has vowed to shift immigration enforcement away from political allies and toward political foes, prioritizing deportations in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and cities at “the core of the Democrat Power Center.”
The leaders of Fiesta del Sol — which has been drawing guests to Pilsen for more than 50 years — said the annual event is supposed to be full of support and enjoyment for residents. But with an uptick in immigration enforcement, residents have expressed concerns about attending some public events.
“ICE is in our streets, knocking on our doors, persecuting immigrants at different and many places,” said Fiesta del Sol co-chair Juana Medina. “We are here to show unity, solidarity and to let them know that our community events are a safe place of joy.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
