Philadelphia's largest Cinco de Mayo parade has been canceled by organizers out of fear that the gathering would be targeted by federal immigration officials searching for illegal immigrants to deport. The annual event was expected to draw about 15,000 people from the Mexican-American community in Philly and surrounding areas.
The decision to cancel is "sad but responsible," said Edgar Ramirez, an organizer of El Carnaval de Puebla. "The group of six organizers decided to cancel unanimously. Everyone is offended by the actions of [Immigration and Customs Enforcement]," he said, referencing recent reports of more active ICE enforcement activity. "We have people who travel all the way from Chicago, Connecticut, and New York," he added. "We don't want anything to happen to them."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Trump's Ukraine about-face puts GOP hawks in the hot seatIN THE SPOTLIGHT The president's pro-Russia pivot has alienated allies, emboldened adversaries, and placed members of his party in an uncomfortable position
-
Is method acting falling out of fashion?Talking Points The divisive technique has its detractors, though it has also wrought quite a few Oscar-winning performances
-
'There is a lot riding on the deal for both sides'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump seeks to end New York's congestion pricingSpeed Read The MTA quickly filed a lawsuit to stop the move
-
Trump officials try to reverse DOGE-led firingsSpeed Read Mass firings by Elon Musk's team have included employees working on the H5N1 bird flu epidemic and US nuclear weapons programs
-
Trump blames Ukraine for war after US-Russia talksSpeed Read The US and Russia have agreed to work together on ending the Ukraine war — but President Trump has flipped America's approach
-
Musk's DOGE seeks access to IRS, Social Security filesSpeed Read If cleared, the Department of Government Efficiency would have access to tax returns, bank records and other highly personal information about most Americans
-
Germany's elections: from dull to high dramaThe Explainer Surge of far-right AfD threatens to upend mainstream coalition politics
-
Senate confirms RFK Jr. as health secretarySpeed Read The noted vaccine skeptic is now in charge of America's massive public health system
-
Trump lays out plans for broad 'reciprocal' tariffsSpeed Read Tariffs imposed on countries that are deemed to be treating the US unfairly could ignite a global trade war and worsen American inflation
-
Top US prosecutors resign rather than drop Adams casespeed read The interim US attorney for the Southern District and five senior Justice Department officials quit following an order to drop the charges against Mayor Eric Adams
