Mexican Independence Day celebrations ready to carry on despite fears about ICE in Chicago
Mexican Independence Day is just days away, and tens of thousands in Chicago are set to celebrate with a number of events. Organizers are encouraging people to come out, despite the Trump administration's stepped up immigration enforcement.
Organizers of one of this year's Mexican Independence Day celebrations said this year's event takes on special meaning. Meantime, city leaders are bracing for potential car caravans that in the past have caused major gridlock downtown.
Drivers can expect possible street closures downtown. Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) – whose ward includes parts of Streeterville, the Gold Coast, Old Town, and Lincoln Park – said the city is preparing to manage the issue.
"The challenge this year is the fact that no one has any idea what kind of crowds we're talking about," he said. "We do have two new helicopters this year. They will be deployed so we'll have air support. We're going to do our best to prevent those car caravans from getting to a critical mass."
During the popular car caravans, thousands of Mexican Americans demonstrate their pride and heritage by driving around the city waving Mexican flags.
This year, city officials said they're prepared to close streets downtown again between Friday and the official holiday on Tuesday, if needed, to prevent major traffic issues.
Leaders behind official Mexican Independence Day festivities said it's more important to celebrate the holiday this year, amid the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration, which has left many immigrants in fear of going out in public.
"I walk around the Pilsen neighborhood, I see the struggles, I see the empty streets," said Nellie Quintana, with the Mexican Cultural Committee of Chicago, which puts on an annual re-enactment of "El Grito" – the famous call to arms from Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, igniting the movement for Mexican independence from Spanish rule.
While this year's El Grito festival in Grant Park has been postponed due to concerns about the immigration crackdown in Chicago, the Mexican Cultural Committee of Chicago will host an El Grito celebration at St. Paul Catholic Church in Pilsen on Monday.
"We've been planning for the safety of everyone. We've actually switched locations three times," Quintana said.
The event will have several safety protocols, including rapid response teams to monitor for ICE agents, and using the church as a sanctuary.
"We're resilient. … Our culture has it in us," Quintana said.
While Quintana wants her community to celebrate its culture, she hopes disorder can be avoided in the coming days.
"Remember where your parents came from. Remember to honor them, not with chaos," she said. "We don't need any more backlash on our culture, on our Mexican, Central American people. Please respect our city."
