- Chicago's annual Cinco de Mayo parade was canceled for the second consecutive year, primarily due to widespread community fear stemming from federal immigration enforcement policies.
- The Cermak Road Chamber of Commerce and Casa Puebla confirmed the cancellation, citing increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity that made the Southwest Side celebration untenable.
- Hector Escobar, President of Casa Puebla and Cermak Road Chamber of Commerce, stated that community members are scared and have withdrawn from public gatherings, leaving "nothing to celebrate."
- Financial viability was also a factor, with nearly half of the parade's corporate sponsors withdrawing support, though organizers emphasized participant safety as the primary concern.
- Residents and business owners in the Little Village neighborhood, the parade's starting point, have experienced heightened anxiety due to the ongoing threat of raids and deportations.
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