The silence at the kick off of the Pilsen Mexican Independence Day parade Saturday morning broke as soon as someone shouted “Viva Mexico.”
A second woman then chimed in, yelling “Don’t be afraid, viva Mexico,” as men on horses decorated in green and red, folk dancers with colorful skirts and a caravan of vintage cars made their way down 18th Street. Others proudly waved Mexican flags and carried signs that said “No ICE” and “Stop Illegal Deportation.”
While the crowd at the 24th annual parade was noticeably thinner and more subdued than in previous years, the hundreds who showed up said they were excited to celebrate their culture despite threats from the White House.
Others across the Chicago area spent the day protesting any imminent action.
President Donald Trump posted on social media earlier Saturday morning an AI-created image of military helicopters flying over Chicago’s lakefront with the title “Chipocalypse Now,” seemingly setting the stage for heightened immigration enforcement actions. Over the past two weeks, his administration has repeatedly threatened to send in federal agents to Chicago for an immigration crackdown.
Agents were expected to arrive by the end of the week and some local officials were told the campaign may continue for about 45 days non-stop. Trump also said he considered deploying National Guard troops to focus on crime, even though crime numbers have declined in recent years.
At the intersection of 18th Street and Blue Island Avenue, Sam Herrera, 28, waited with his family for the parade to start. They were decked out with a half-Mexican, half-American flag. For Herrera, who is from Little Village but has family in Pilsen, the hourlong parade day had a dual focus — celebrate heritage and make sure the Hispanic community stays safe.
“We celebrate it…and make sure we know we’re good. If stuff goes down, we’re here, we’ve got our phones ready to record and make sure everything’s above the law,” Herrera said. “That’s the biggest thing.”
The day had started fairly quietly in the neighborhood. Streets that usually have people clamoring for parade watching spots by 7 a.m. were nearly empty at 11 a.m., an hour before the parade was set to start. Herrera doesn’t think this will be a permanent change, however.
“Right now, tension’s a little bit high. People are probably celebrating at home. People are just trying to be safe out here,” Herrera said, adding that he hopes if ICE activity does happen this year, next year’s parade crowd will return to normal.
Gov. JB Pritzker had said he was “deeply concerned” ICE would target Chicago’s Mexican Independence Day celebrations, which kicked off this weekend with the Pilsen parade, suggesting that the administration may have chosen to target the city because of the prominent events. Pritzker and other mostly Democratic officials have vehemently voiced their opposition to Trump’s plan.
El Grito Chicago, a downtown Mexican Independence Day festival scheduled for next weekend, was postponed in response, as were other festivities in the Chicago area. German Gonzalez, the event’s lead organizer, told the Tribune he didn’t want the festival to “be used as a pawn in political games meant to divide our city and our nation.” The Little Village parade scheduled for next week will go on as planned, organizers said Friday.
Organizers of Saturday’s Pilsen parade doubled down on their decision to continue, saying they wouldn’t be stopped from celebrating “our heritage, our culture” despite deportation fears. Vicky Lugo, secretary of the United Merchants of Pilsen Chamber of Commerce, said Saturday that “nobody rained on our parade.” She said there were no incidents or reports of federal immigration agents.
Lugo didn’t have a specific turnout number, but acknowledged it was lower than usual. She previously estimated about 3,000 spectators would attend. People were being extra cautious, and others watched from windows in their homes, according to Lugo, however, there was a lot of support from all over the city and local businesses, she said.
“(There was) a lot of support, and willingness to come out and celebrate with us, celebrate with those who fear being deported or those that wish to stay in the shadows,” she said.
Lugo hopes elected officials continue to show up to protect immigrants “in any way they can,” she said. There were a few extra precautions in place at the parade, Lugo previously noted. Volunteers placed along the parade route monitored for immigration agents and handed out “know your rights” cards. Mayor Brandon Johnson also said he was working with organizers of various Mexican Independence Day events to “support and promote safe celebrations.”
Little Village Community Council President Baltazar Enriquez was at the parade handing out whistles people could blow if immigration enforcement officers showed up. It was “very sad” to see less people at the parade, he said, adding, usually the neighborhood is filled with vendors and people from all over the U.S. — Iowa, Michigan, Indiana and more.
“Today, the tourists didn’t come, and the residents are definitely frightened, and it’s lonely,” Enriquez said. “But we hope to keep the resistance and show this (Trump) administration that we’re not scared and we’re going to continue our lives, but hopefully things get better.”
Even with the fear present, Mexican pride doesn’t disappear, Enriquez said. If anything, it grows, he added.
“We’re out here saying, ‘Viva Mexico, and that’s something that we’re going to continue doing,” he said.