PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — An annual Mexican celebration that takes place each year in Philadelphia has been canceled for the second straight year amid fears of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
El Carnaval de Puebla is one of Philadelphia’s largest celebrations, drawing more than 15,000 people each April for nearly the last two decades. It celebrates Mexico’s victory over French occupiers in 1862 at the Battle of Puebla.
However, ongoing fears of ICE officers carrying out the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation directives continue to cast a dark cloud over the celebration.
“One of the most important reasons, for us, is to keep the families safe,” said Olga Renteria, who serves on the board of Carnaval de Puebla.
She said during an outdoor event earlier this year, while a children’s dance group affiliated with Carnaval de Puebla was practicing, someone yelled out, “ICE!”
“They started running for no reason,” she recalled. “When they saw other people running, they were going toward the streets. They were just afraid.”
She said the fear and trauma for the children, especially, is too much and not worth it. Many event sponsors don’t want to take the risk either.
But what hurts the most, Renteria said, is not being able to celebrate their culture with this time-honored tradition, and disappointing the kids who work so hard on their costumes each year.
“They want to show off what they are, they want to show where they come from, and they want to feel proud, but at the same time, they feel sad,” she said.