The silence at the kick off of the Pilsen Mexican Independence Day Parade Saturday morning broke as soon as someone shouted “Viva, México!”
A second woman then chimed in, yelling “Don’t be afraid, viva, México!” 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.
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 nonstop. 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 South 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 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.”
Protests across Chicago
Others across the Chicago area spent the day protesting any imminent action. Downtown, hundreds listened to speeches decrying federal agents and carried signs that said “ICE out of Chi” and “No troops in our streets.”
“Trump has spent billions on federal guards and the militarization of our communities, pouring money into weapons and intimidation, and instead of investing in schools, hospitals, jobs and housing, he has stripped us of vital resources meant to help us live, only to use them to try to break our spirits,” said the Rev. Ciera Bates-Chamberlain, the executive director of Live Free Illinois.
“But somebody tell him, like Beyoncé say, ‘You won’t break my soul,’” she added to loud applause.
Meanwhile, hundreds more gathered outside a Jewel-Osco store in west suburban Wheaton and at Naval Station Great Lakes, the North Chicago naval base where roughly 300 federal immigration agents will be sent, according to suburban officials.
Steven DelVecchio, a Gurnee resident who said he’s a U.S. Navy veteran who served from 1989 to 1993, showed up to the North Chicago protest with his wife. He said he’s incensed about ICE using the naval base.
“I don’t like what ICE is doing, but I especially don’t like them being on the base,” DelVecchio said.
There was one woman wearing a red MAGA hat and carrying a sign that said, “Thank You ICE,” outside the naval base, however.
“I support what they are doing,” Kristin Strom said. “I am here to support ICE and President Donald Trump. I like what he is doing and his approach.”
‘A lot of support’
The day had started fairly quietly in Pilsen. 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 Immigration and Customs Enforcement 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 González, 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 watched 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 Enríquez was at the parade handing out whistles people could blow if ICE agents showed up. It was “very sad” to see fewer 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,” Enríquez 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, Enríquez said. If anything, it grows, he added.
“We’re out here saying, ‘Viva, México!’ and that’s something that we’re going to continue doing,” he said.
