Mayor of Mass. city cancels annual Hispanic heritage festival over concerns of ICE raids
A Massachusetts city has canceled its annual Hispanic heritage festival after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement recently rolled out its second widespread crackdown in the state.
25 Investigates: U.S. Border Czar Tom Homan warns of ‘permanent’ ICE surge in Massachusetts
Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria announced that the fourth annual ‘Fiesta del Rio’ event will no longer go on as scheduled next weekend at Rivergreen Park, citing the recent ICE raids, locally and across the nation, as a cause for fear and uncertainty among community members.
“With the recent ICE raids in our region, many of our friends and neighbors are feeling fear and uncertainty. We believe it would not be right to hold a celebration at a time when members of our community may not feel safe attending,” DeMaria said in a statement.
The cancellation comes amid increased federal immigration enforcement, as White House Border Czar Tom Homan reiterated a promise to ramp up the presence of federal agents in Massachusetts. However, he did not specify how many additional agents would be deployed.
A lifelong resident of Everett told Boston 25 News that he recently saw ICE agents in four unmarked vehicles, expressing disappointment over the event’s cancellation.
“The city has been built on generations of immigrants, and the fact that they had to cancel something like that just puts a bad taste in everyone’s mouth for sure,” the resident said.
DeMaria stated that the city will seek other ways to bring the community together, emphasizing that Everett stands with its residents during these challenging times.
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