One Saturday every September, Joseph Lee Park in East Baltimore becomes a rollicking party filled with the sounds of Banda music and bites of tacos, pozole and sopes for thousands tcelebrating Mexico’s independence day.
But this year, organizers of the annual Festival Independencia de México y Centroamérica, which has been held at the park for a decade, canceled the celebration amid fears over the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration. Instead, at the urging of the local Mexican Consulate, they will hold a private event.
That’s not the only cancellation. About a half-dozen events traditionally hosted by the local Latino community in Maryland have either been canceled, relocated or altered during Hispanic Heritage Month, which features Mexican Independence Day on Sept. 16.
“It’s unfortunate that people cannot take pride in their country of origin and ethnicities and celebrate. But we are in different times now. People should do what makes them feel safe,” said Catalina Rodriguez-Lima, director of the city’s Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. Rodriguez-Lima added that fear of immigration enforcement has prompted the cancelation of two events and the relocation of three others indoors.
The modified events, she said, are either at community centers or churches where organizers can better manage the flow of people and control access.
Across the country, leaders have voiced similar concerns over large-scale gatherings of immigrant communities. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, said earlier this month that he is “deeply concerned” that ICE would target Mexican Independence Day events this year in Chicago, warning of intentional raids of Latino communities. In Indianapolis, organizers announced they would try to reimagine a similar event, only to cancel it altogether.
Requests for comment about the changes to Hispanic festivals amid immigration enforcement to the White House and the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were not immediately returned.
The decision to cancel the Sept. 15 event in Joseph Lee Park was made two months ago, according to Lucia Isla, one of its organizers. “The safety of families must remain the highest priority, and we did not want to expose anyone to unnecessary risks,” she said.
Isla described past festivals as powerful opportunities to showcase to the broader community cultural pride while leaving Hispanic families “satisfied, enriched, and joyful, having learned more about their culture while sharing in a spirit of unity.”
For the past three years, Ricardo Ortiz attended the Joseph Lee Park festival, describing it is both a cultural moment and “an act of resistance” for those who show up.
Despite that, Ortiz, who is originally from Mexico, said he is not upset that the event is not taking place in the park because he’s more angered by the way Latinos are being targeted by the government.
“We are deeply rooted in this city. Here in Baltimore, we know we are seen, respected and part of its future,” he said.
The organizer of another Hispanic event, Susana Barrios, president of Latino Racial Justice Circle, expected a dip in attendance this year but was going to continue to offer its student-led cultural festival featuring music and folkloric dance later this month in Patterson Park.
But that changed last week when Barrios said her group decided to cancel because they could not find a private indoor space. She lamented that a recent Supreme Court ruling on Sept. 8 was the final straw. That ruling gave ICE the ability to stop people they suspected of being undocumented immigrants based on factors such as race, accent, job and location.
She added ruefully that ”instead of joyfully celebrating, our community is facing fear and uncertainty that overshadow this important time of connection and cultural celebration.”
This is not the first time similar festivals have been canceled in Maryland. In June, the annual Salvadoreñisimo Festival, which is usually held in September in Gaithersburg, was canceled. Earl Stoddard, the assistant chief administrative officer for the Montgomery County executive, said that the county has not felt the brunt of large-scale ICE raids, but looming fear about future raids has been chilling.
“We have heard these kinds of rumors before. But I want to make clear, just because we have not seen that happen, we absolutely would not put it past this administration to either conduct the raids or put out there that they would conduct the raids to generate the fear in the community,” Stoddard said.
David Turner, communications director and senior advisor for Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, said the Trump Administration’s tactics harm contributing members of communities as well as their families.
“Stoking fear and traumatizing our neighbors do not reflect the values upon which our nation was built. Everyone has the right to feel safe in their community,” Turner added.
In smaller venues, some organizers say they will push ahead to celebrate Hispanic culture despite the larger atmosphere of fear. In Baltimore’s Remington neighborhood, for example, the Mexican restaurant Clavel is focusing on the independence holiday by hosting a mariachi band and drink specials.
“It’s important for us to continue celebrating our Mexican traditions and El 16 de Septiembre is a important one for us as it is the day Mexico became an independent country,” said chef and co-owner Carlos Raba.