The annual Cinco de Mayo parade in Chicago has been canceled a second year in a row because of fear and uncertainty related to immigration enforcement actions, organizers said.
The Cermak Road Chamber of Commerce and Casa Puebla announced on Saturday that they decided to cancel their 2026 Cinco de Mayo parade and festivities.
“This decision comes in light of the challenges our Mexican community continues to face under this administration,” Casa Puebla Inc. and Cermak Road Chamber of Commerce Industry Inc. President Hector Escobar said in a statement on Saturday about the cancellation. “Many families are experiencing fear and uncertainty due to increased immigration enforcement actions and the ongoing threat of raids.”
The events are typically a day of celebration of Mexican culture filled with musical performances and traditional dance, but Escobar says members of the community have “understandably withdrawn from public gatherings and celebrations.”
“There is nothing to celebrate,” he said.
Organizers released a similar explanation after deciding to cancel the event in 2025.
Escobar said he remains hopeful that “conditions will improve in the future” and the community can come together again to celebrate in the future.
“We look forward to continuing the Cinco de Mayo festivities for many years to come when our community can do so safely and with peace of mind.”
The parade has faced a series of disruptions in the past, including being cancelled in 2018 and 2019 due to what organizers described as a “lack of support” from Ald. George Cardenas and conflicts of interest with another group, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
The COVID-19 pandemic also posed issues for the event, and in 2024 a shooting forced the parade to be rerouted, with more than two-dozen people arrested in the aftermath of that incident.
