a day ago
Fiesta Del Sol organizers demand ICE agents not make any unannounced visits during event
The popular Fiesta Del Sol festival kicks off this week in Pilsen, and organizers are asking ICE agents not to make unannounced visits.
Earlier this month, federal agents arrived at the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture days before the museum hosted Barrio Fest.
The agents said their presence had nothing to do with immigration arrests. Most of them stayed in the parking lot, according to staff.
People concerned about the Fiesta Del Sol gathered in Pilsen on Monday morning.
Organizers are demanding that immigration enforcement agencies not target their celebrations.
"We're in a new moment and ICE is targeting our communities, and our neighbors," Brandon Lee with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights said. "ICE is constantly adopting new tactics, and they are abducting more people than ever. It's no secret that they're focusing on parks and public spaces."
Community leaders said festival organizers need to be prepared to protect their friends and neighbors, whether or not agents show up.