A council for Houston’s League of United Latin American Citizens District on Friday said it has canceled this year’s Cinco de Mayo parade over fears surrounding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in the city.
The organization known as LULAC said in a news release that the decision was made by the parade committee with the district’s leaders, “out of an abundance of caution.” ICE arrests in Texas increased by 135% during the first nine months of the second Trump administration compared with the same period in 2024 under President Joe Biden, according to the Chronicle’s analysis of immigration enforcement data compiled by the Deportation Data Project.
“The safety of our children and their parents remains our highest priority,” the news release reads. “LULAC District VIII is not willing to put any child, family member, volunteer, or participant at risk for a parade – no matter how meaningful or celebrated the tradition may be. While Cinco de Mayo is an important cultural celebration that honors heritage, pride, and community unity, no event outweighs the responsibility we have to protect our families.”
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The annual parade draws hundreds to downtown Houston to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, which commemorates Mexico’s victory against the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862.
Melissa Lopez and other members of the Danzas Folkloricas de Solei dance group perform during the Cinco de Mayo Parade. (Godofredo A. Vásquez/Staff photographer)
The council in the news release said it was disappointed to cancel this year’s parade, but that “leadership requires making difficult decisions when circumstances demand it.”
“We look forward to bringing the parade back next year under conditions that allow our community to gather freely, safely, and without fear,” it said.
In a separate news release, the council reaffirmed its decision to cancel the parade, saying: “Over the past several weeks, the anxiety we have heard directly from mixed-status families, volunteers, and parents has been overwhelming. They are expressing genuine, paralyzing fear that attending a high-profile public gathering could result in the irreversible separation of their families. We cannot, in good conscience, ignore those cries for help or downplay the very real risks our community faces daily.”
This article originally published at ‘Genuine, paralyzing fear’: LULAC cancels Houston Cinco de Mayo parade over ICE activity.