Washington’s Latino Festival canceled amid safety concerns about federal immigration enforcement

WASHINGTON — Organizers say they won’t hold Washington’s Latino Festival this summer, canceling plans for a popular day-long annual tradition in the city’s central park marked by an abundance of authentic food, flashy lucha libre matches, plus musical mariachi and “Banda” performances.

A news release about the cancellation cited non-specific “current circumstances.” But in an interview late last week, Sonia Leyva, president and cofounder of Latinos for Washington, said the decision was driven by safety concerns, citing nationwide arrests and deportations by federal immigration officials since President Donald Trump took office.

“We need to take care of our community members, and it’s almost like we don’t want to do anything that brings so much attention, and brings people there for the wrong reasons,” she said, adding that she was disappointed because, “it’s a family-oriented event, we’ve had it every summer for the last 10 years, people look forward to it … it’s supposed to be something happy, and it’s turned into something that’s just scary. We don’t want to put anyone in danger.”

The Trump administration says it has arrested and deported tens of thousands of people since he took office in January, adding that roughly half of those deported had criminal records. But attorneys for some of the deported people say the process happened without sufficient legal notice, and sometimes skipped court hearings, ignored judges’ orders or displaced legal U.S. residents.

Other organizations have made similar calls across the nation for their own events celebrating Latino culture. Organizers of Chicago’s annual Cinco De Mayo parade recently announced its cancellation, and Philadelphia’s Carnaval de Puebla also has been called off, with spokespeople sighting the same concerns about federal raids.

Leyva called Latinos for Washington’s move a “tough decision,” but said many community members feared a threat of wrongful arrests and deportations.

“We have people calling and asking questions, they’re scared to go to Walmart, they heard ICE is there,” Leyva said, referencing the acronym for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “There’s a lot of uncertainty, even talking to people that have their Green Card, that are residents, they don’t even feel safe anymore.”

Latinos for Washington tentatively hopes to bring the festival back in 2026 Leyva said, but those plans are up in the air for now.

The nonprofit is continuing with its other efforts in the meantime. Latinos For Washington has 15 students enrolled in its springtime run of citizenship classes, according to a new release, and still has a handful of educational workshops and high school scholarships planned

Leyva said she has appreciated the outpouring of support from the community — in the form of kind words and donations to the group — in response to the festival’s cancellation.

“I’m just really appreciative of all that, because it just makes you feel like, ‘OK, there are people that are willing to help’ … and that’s wonderful,” she said. “And that is why I love Washington, because there are so many people that are welcoming and (want to) share your culture. And it’s sad when you don’t feel like you can share your culture, because of people being scared.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com