Fiestas Patrias in Rockford called off over immigration concerns

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — The organizers of Rockford’s annual Latino community showcase, Domingos En El Parque, have announced the cancellation of Fiestas Patrias ’25.

The event, which means “Patriotic Holidays” in Spanish, was scheduled to be held this Sunday, September 14th, ahead of Mexican Independence Day, which is celebrated on September 16th.

Fiestas Patrias was to be held at Levings Park, 1420 S Pierpont Avenue.

The organizers said the cancellation was “due to concerns about the personal safety of the attendees, vendors, and performers. Canceling this celebration, which highlights the culture and heritage of the Latino Community, was a difficult decision made with the best interests of our community in mind.”

The move follows Chicago’s decision to postpone its Mexican Independence Day Festival at Grant Park, due to the announcement of the Department of Homeland Security’s “Midway Blitz.”

“This ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) operation will target the criminal illegal aliens who flocked to Chicago and Illinois because they knew Governor Pritzker and his sanctuary policies would protect them and allow them to roam free on American streets,” DHS added, referring to Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D).

Last week, community activist Antonio Ramirez Jr. says Rockford events celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month are still on. But he says he still has concerns about the possibility that immigration enforcement could be ramped up during those events.

Ramirez said, although there has been no indication that ICE will be conducting sweeps in Rockford, he understands if immigrants choose not to attend events like Tamale Fest, Fiestas Patrias, and the city’s Mexican Independence Day parade and festival.

The city of Rockford posted a notice to its Facebook page last week in both English, Spanish, and Arabic, saying, “We are aware that Homeland Security recently confirmed plans to expand ICE operations in Chicago. While there is no confirmation that these operations will extend to Rockford, we recognize it is a possibility. And, we also recognize the fear and uncertainty this news may cause.”

The TRUST Act, signed by former Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) in 2017, prevents state law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities.

Chicago is home to a large population of undocumented immigrants, and both the city and the state of Illinois have some of the country’s strongest rules against cooperating with federal immigration enforcement efforts. 

According to ICE, those arrested as part of the nationwide effort had criminal histories, including sexual assault, robbery, drug and weapons charges, and domestic violence, the agency said.