SAN ANTONIO – The annual Dia de los Muertos celebration at Woodlawn Lake has been put on pause this year, with organizers canceling the event planned for Nov. 2 amid immigration enforcement concerns and broader political and economic challenges.

For Alizee Lopez, the Day of the Dead celebration has been a tradition for years. “I mean, it sucks that another event has to be canceled because, you know, people don’t feel safe. That’s not right,” Lopez said.

Planet K’s Nov. 2 event would have brought people together to honor loved ones who have died. But the company canceled the event Oct. 14, citing immigration enforcement concerns and political and economic challenges.

ICE agents have detained people leaving San Antonio’s immigration court after their hearings. President Donald Trump has promised to increase deportations, and some organizers say immigration enforcement concerns are affecting Hispanic cultural events and other community gatherings.

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Victoria Perez, who lives in San Antonio, said those concerns are being felt in a community she described as tight-knit. “Everybody here in San Antonio, we are very close, you know, it’s very family oriented. So of course people are going to, like, protect their neighbors, you know,” Perez said.

San Antonio City Councilmember Marc Whyte, District 10, offered a different perspective Sunday. “As the public is aware, ICE is conducting immigration enforcement activities in the San Antonio area, and the best course of action is for everyone to remain calm and allow the federal officials to do their work,” Whyte said.

Planet K said this is only its second cancellation in two decades, after the pandemic.

Lopez said she hopes the celebration returns next year. “That’s something people do every year. You know, it’s like traditions,” she said.