Philadelphia's Carnaval de Puebla canceled amid concerns of ICE presence

CNN

09-04-2025

An annual festival in Philadelphia dedicated to celebrating Mexican culture and history has been cancelled, with organizers citing fear that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement might be present and target attendees.
Since President Donald Trump's inauguration, ICE has detained thousands of people, using aggressive methods like the rarely-used Alien Enemies Act to deport them quickly and chilling the immigrant community.
The Philadelphia Inquirer first reported the cancellation.
El Carnaval de Puebla, which saw about 15,000 spectators from across the US and Mexico in 2024, has been held in April for the past 18 years. But the community 'does not feel safe' attending a large gathering this year, organizer Olga Renteria said.
People in the community, regardless of if they have legal status or are undocumented, are afraid that ICE will detain people in the crowd, she told CNN.
'We are not going to take a chance,' Renteria said. 'Everyone is being cautious, no celebrating, no big gatherings.'
CNN has reached out to ICE for comment.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker's office declined to comment as the event is not city sponsored.
The festival had also been cancelled in 2017, months after Trump first took office when organizers were worried about the community's safety from ICE. In 2017, ICE told CNN its 'actions are targeted and lead driven' and it doesn't 'conduct sweeps or raids that target aliens indiscriminately.'
'We don't want any incidents. There's a little bit of fear in the community,' organizer Edgar Ramirez told CNN in 2017. 'It's sad to cancel the event, but we don't want difficulties for anyone.'
Eight years later, Renteria echoed the same sentiment, saying that it is sad to cancel 'one of the most valuable traditions' and one of the largest carnaval celebrations on the East Coast.
'It's incredible how changes in an administration can change everything in your life, even just celebrating carnaval,' she said.
Organizers are considering a smaller event for the community to celebrate, but details have not been officially decided, she said. In the meantime, she encourages those who wanted to come for the festival to still visit Philadelphia and its many Mexican businesses.