Following recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids across the country and throughout Los Angeles County, several National Hispanic Heritage Month community events have been cancelled out of concern for the Latine community.
Long Beach city council member Mary Zendejas announced Friday that the annual Día de los Muertos Parade, originally set to take place in early November, would be canceled for 2025 out of fear of ICE raids. Only a few days earlier, Pasadena announced that it would no longer host their annual Latino Heritage Parade as well.
Research from the Equity Research Institute at USC Dornsife estimates that over a third of LA County’s residents are immigrants; 27 percent of those immigrants are undocumented. Since June 6, ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection have made over 4,000 arrests in the LA area, according to a statement provided by Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin to the LA Times.
The Pasadena Latino Heritage Committee and the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department decided to cancel the Latino Heritage Parade after “thoughtful consideration,” according to Pasadena Now.
LA County is home to nearly 950,000 undocumented immigrants, and their absence in the community for fear of ICE raids has affected the local economy. According to research from the Equity Research Institute at USC Dornsife, these raids have been “devastating,” adding that “labor shortages, delays, increased prices and decreased business activity” have caused an estimated $275 billion in losses. The undocumented population of LA County contributed roughly $2.04 billion in state and local taxes in 2023.
“The ultimate point of [cancelling] is to protect people from getting deported … It’s unfortunate, but at the end of the day it’s for the safety of the people,” says USC sophomore Philosophy, Politics and Law major Jana Alnajjar.
“Canceling [the events] can help people in case ICE comes in and takes people right then and there, but the whole point is to celebrate the culture and the heritage,” said Alnajjar. “Depending on where you live, people have different priorities, and the state laws affect what their priorities are.”
As “the most diverse U.S. state,” according to World Population Review, California is a substantial target of ICE raids, especially after the Supreme Court ruling, which permitted race to be used as a factor to detain people in immigration stops. An estimated 3,700 people have been detained by ICE in the state of California, according to TracImmigration reports.
In addition to LA, Chicago, New York and Miami are among those most affected. These cities have been targets for immigration raids since President Trump took office in January, according to NBC News.
For some Angelenos, concern for undocumented family members has discouraged them from attending Latine Heritage Month events. “Folks are feeling uneasy, not feeling safe to go out … because of the fear,” said AJ Mada, the Equity Coaching Academy Director at the USC Race and Equity Center.
“I’ve known people in my personal life who have wanted to go to various events, who have [decided to] stay at home … it’s definitely created an environment where the sense of belonging and community is not as strong as it used to be,” said Mada.
Through Mada’s work, he’s witnessed the uneasiness caused by ICE raids and how they have affected many college students. One solution to aid those impacted is the USC Gould School of Law’s Immigrant Legal Assistance Center, which allows USC students to speak with immigration attorneys for free.
“We always act as some sort of support for students, if they want a place where they can come and study in our office to feel more comfortable and safe,” said Mada.
Additionally, many USC students have shown support for LA’s immigrant population. “It’s extremely sad that the terror of ICE is kind of outweighing the importance of celebrating cultures,” said Katherine Kang, a junior political science major.
“Immigrants are what make this country, and it’s so important to ensure that they know that they’re valued and celebrated, even if it’s especially highlighted for just one month,” said Kang.