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[Chicago, IL]: On Monday Morning, event organizers and community members gathered in front of Pilsen Neighbors Community Council to demand that immigration enforcement refrain from targeting Fiesta del Sol. This Latino festival is one of the largest in the midwest – drawing over 1.3 million people yearly to the heart of Pilsen, a historically immigrant neighborhood.
In response to growing concerns about potential immigration enforcement at cultural events, Fiesta del Sol and its partners called for federal immigration agents to stay out of community festivals.
Just earlier this month, federal agents made an unannounced visit to the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture. This came just days before they hosted Barrio Fest, raising significant alarm across Chicago’s immigrant community.
Fiesta del Sol demanded that ICE and other immigration enforcement agencies refrain from targeting our celebrations. “Community festivals should be places of joy – not places of fear.”
Fiesta del Sol Co-Chair, Juana Medina, emphasized how the festival has been developing immigration protocols since January to protect community members and event organizers alike. Leading up to the event, Fiesta organizers have trained over 250 volunteers and vendors on their rights when approached by immigration agents, how to report potential ICE sightings, and how to follow emergency safety plans.
“We are here today to show unity, solidarity – and to let them know our community events are a safe place of joy,” reflected Medina.
In addition to Medina, speakers included Jennifer Aguilar, Executive Director of the Little Village Chamber of Commerce; Elizabeth Román, Board President of the National Catholic Council for Hispanic Ministry; Brandon Lee, communications director at The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR); Byron Sigcho-López, 25th Ward Alderman; and Beatriz Ponce De León, Deputy Mayor with the Office of Immigrant, Migrant, and Refugee Rights for the City of Chicago.
Ponce De León delivered penultimate remarks to summarize what event organizers had already stressed: “We come together to say firmly that people should reject the negative attacks that are coming from our federal government, that we will protect each other, and that we will take care of each other.”
Fiesta del Sol has spent the last several months working closely with our partners to ensure the festival is safe for everyone. Our protocols include a clear reporting system, trained response teams, and Know Your Rights education for vendors, volunteers, staff, as well as information and resources for the general public. The festival is prepared to respond appropriately to any potential immigration enforcement actions by ICE or collaborating federal agencies.
The Festival runs Thursday, July 31st through Sunday, August 3rd and opens from 3PM to 10PM on Thursday, and from 11 AM to 10 PM on Friday through Sunday. We invite everyone to join us in Pilsen for a safe, welcoming, and joyful celebration. Enjoy the food, music, and carnival rides, and explore our community expos, among them the Immigration, Art, Environmental justice, Health, and other Expos. This is a space for families, friends, and neighbors to come together, have fun, and feel at home.
Our Partners
Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th Ward
Alderwoman Jessie Fuentes, 26th Ward
Alderman Andres Vasquez, 40th Ward
Alivio Medical Center
Boys and Girls Club
Bridging Chicago Communities
Casa Michoacan
Chicago Latino Theater Alliance, The
Comite Cultural Mexicano de Chicago
El Hogar del Niño
Faith Table Interfaith Coalition
First Immanuel Lutheran Church
The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR)
Hispanic American Construction Industry Association (HACIA)
The Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Illinois Workers in Action
La Malinche Coffee & Tea House
Latinos Progresando
Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender
Little Village Chamber of Commerce
Miche Fest
National Catholic Council for Hispanic Ministry (NCCHM)
National Museum of Mexican Art
National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture
North American Dominican Promoters for Justice and Peace
Office of Immigrant, Migrant, and Refugee Rights for the City of Chicago
Pilsen Chamber of Commerce
Pilsen Wellness Center
PUÑO
Rudy Lozano Library
Sabor Fest
Sones de Mexico Ensemble
UNO Chicago
25th Ward IPO
*Message our media contact to be included as a partner
In 1954, Pilsen Neighbors Community Council was formed in response to the divestment and violence that Pilsen residents faced. It has since become an organizer of community-led campaigns seeking to improve the neighborhood. Now over 70 years later, Pilsen Neighbors has worked tirelessly leading social justice campaigns supporting immigration reform, housing justice, and workforce development
