DOWNTOWN — What is usually a night of raucous Mexican Independence Day celebrations remained unusually calm Saturday amid the federal government’s coordinated immigration enforcement efforts in Chicago.
But this year, there wasn’t a large enough turnout of Mexican Independence Day celebrants to even warrant the Downtown street closures that the city warned could happen.
ICE was not present during Saturday’s muted celebrations, according to a spokesperson for the agency.
Saturday’s Mexican Independence celebrations were held less than a week after the government’s announced immigration raids.
El Grito Fest, held in Grant Park in honor of Mexican Independence Day, was canceled due to the ICE efforts.
DOWNTOWN — In the midst of the federal government’s concerted immigration enforcement efforts in Chicago, Saturday’s typically boisterous Mexican Independence Day celebrations remained startlingly quiet.
On Saturday, when neighbors celebrate the Mexican holiday with massive caravans that have occupied the central business district for years despite efforts by law enforcement to stop the celebrations, downtown was crowded with police.
However, the city warned that the number of Mexican Independence Day celebrations this year was not high enough to justify closing some streets in the downtown area.
Many chose to avoid potential interactions with U by staying away. S. U. A. Despite the threats, the party continued, citing Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Operation Midway Blitz, which was started last week with the government’s stated goal of targeting undocumented immigrants in the Chicago area.
ICE did not participate in Saturday’s subdued festivities, an agency spokesperson said. However, the yearly festivities were silenced by the threat alone.
“It’s gloomy,” David H. said. Around 9:30 p.m., he was among the few individuals brandishing a Mexican flag on Michigan Avenue. A. On Saturday. “Normally, by this point, there would be a lot more foot traffic with flags and a lot louder noise. I think I’ve seen the same three or four individuals with their flags out in that manner. Like St., we ought to be able to celebrate our culture. The Italian holidays or Patrick’s Day—clearly in a manageable manner by not getting out of hand or creating chaos. “.”.
Online confusion was caused by a list of unconfirmed Chicago police street post locations that went viral on social media and mistakenly confused the local operation with ICE checkpoints.
According to multiple celebrants and the Chicago police superintendent, many of the cars that had Mexican flags flying from their windows were stopped by police and had the flags taken down. Larry Snelling, who expressed his satisfaction that traffic was not being obstructed and that he was ensuring everyone remained safe, told Block Club.
As per Chicago Municipal Code 9-40-250, individuals who exhibit “non-transparent material upon the front windshield, or upon or protruding from any rear window, side window, or roof” may face fines ranging from $300 to $1,000.
West Lawn, which is a mostly Mexican-American neighborhood that usually goes all out for the mid-September weekend, was the scene of police officers watching vacant parking lots. The streets were peaceful at 8:30 p.m. this year. m. On Saturday.
Upon arriving downtown, a group of young men who had traveled from Northwest Indiana were disappointed to see their flags swiftly taken down by police.
For safety reasons, one of the men, who wished to remain anonymous, stated, “We were stopped today because we had the flags outside the windows.”. The police then claimed that we posed a threat since we were wearing ski masks. They inquired about our weapons and other possessions. It was all because we had not flown the Mexican Independence flag. “”.
The group claimed that they had never been stopped for flying flags before and that they had driven downtown for previous celebrations.
By about 10:30 p.m. A. A significant number of teenagers started to march up and down Michigan Avenue on Saturday, waving flags, singing, and cheering as more cars honked their horns, causing a discernible increase in the festive atmosphere downtown.
Noel Herrera was in charge of the crowd, enthusiastically rallying chants from a gathering that progressively expanded from a few dozen to about 100 revelers as the group gathered onlookers. Even the most reserved members of the group let out loud cheers as Herrera darted from one person to the next with a jolt in his step.
When a police officer pulled over a car for a flag citation, Herrera paused to jeer at him. He claimed that the Trump administration’s threats had obviously dampened the festivities.
“Due to Trump’s actions, people are being pulled over,” Herrera stated. “They are undoubtedly targeting a specific person, and the reason all these people are being pulled over is because they are engaging in racial profiling. We won’t back down and will remain united as a team. ICE has caused people to be absent, but I will not allow that to deter me from honoring my ancestry. “.”.
Despite attracting a large police presence, the crowd mostly stayed calm.
Less than a week after the government’s announced immigration raids, Saturday’s celebrations of Mexican Independence took place. The threat might have been planned to fall during the mid-September holiday celebrations, according to local officials. Because of the ICE efforts, the Mexican Independence Day celebration, El Grito Fest, was canceled in Grant Park.
According to agency officials, a federal immigration officer shot and killed a man in suburban Franklin Park the day before Saturday’s festivities.
Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez was stopped by agents Friday morning while driving close to Grand Avenue and Elder Lane, according to reports and a statement from U.S. S. Enforcement of Immigration and Customs. According to ICE, Villegas-Gonzalez “refused to follow law enforcement commands” and slammed his vehicle into officers during the stop. According to agency officials, one officer was struck and dragged.
When Ashley Sanchez and her boyfriend Jared arrived downtown on Saturday, she stated that it was crucial to “celebrate today for those who can’t.”. “.”.
“I don’t think a lot of people will be out this weekend,” she said. That, in my opinion, is simply a result of the times and the current ICE situation. In all honesty, many people are afraid to leave their homes to go grocery shopping. My parents are genuinely terrified. They only leave for work and return home right away, so it’s crucial that you show up today. “”.
