Overview

• Organizers, elected leaders and immigrant advocates formally called on ICE and DHS on July 28 to refrain from unannounced enforcement actions during the four-day festival starting Thursday.
• More than 250 staff and volunteers have undergone training on immigration and civil rights and are distributing ‘Know Your Rights’ materials to festivalgoers.
• The appeal follows early July’s DHS briefing at the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture parking lot, which officials said was for a narcotics investigation but organizers view as intimidation.
• Now in its 53rd year, Fiesta del Sol typically draws over a million visitors to Pilsen, underscoring its importance as one of the nation’s largest Latino cultural celebrations.
• Organizers have established rapid-response teams and are awaiting any federal response as no ICE or DHS actions have been reported so far.