By José Mendiola, Des Moines Register
Organizers in a small town in southeast Iowa canceled their annual Latino heritage festival out of fear of a possible mass deportation sting that could have potentially separated families.
The Latino Festival of Washington is a celebration of Latino heritage that includes Hispanic food, music and dance performances, said Latinos for Washington president and co-founder Sonia Leyva. Leyva said the nonprofit organizers decided to cancel the event after people started to speak out about a possible ICE raid at the event.
“We’ve had a lot of people scared in our community,” Leyva said. “So many things are changing that we’ve just decided that it’s best to keep our community safe. We’d hate for an event that is supposed to bring our community together end up affecting them for the worse.”
Washington is a town of about 7,200 people in southeast Iowa. Hispanics make up about 11% of the population, according to the 2023 American Community Survey.
“It’s quite devastating, to tell you the truth, because this is an event that our entire community looks forward to every year, not just Latinos, but also non-Hispanic people,” Leyva said of the one-day celebration in August. “It’s a community event that brings our community and people from outside the community to come celebrate and enjoy that day together.”
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has said there have been more than 30,00 deportations since President Donald Trump took office in January.
Other communities across the country also have canceled plans over fears ICE will be there to arrest undocumented immigrants or be an intimidating presence. Chicago’s annual Cinco de Mayo Parade was canceled, according to CBS News, as was Philadelphia’s El Carnaval de Puebla, CNN reported.
Leyva said it was best that organizers canceled the Iowa event to focus their energy on providing educational workshops and U.S. citizenship classes.
Although people have voiced their concern with ICE raids, the community still feels comfortable with local law enforcement, said Leyva, referencing a news release from the Washington Police Department in February.
In the news release, Chief Jim Lester said the department’s top priority is the safety and well-being of every member of the Washington community, regardless of their status.
“The mission of the Washington Police Department is to encourage community partnerships to solve problems and improve public safety in a manner that is consistent, fair, impartial and transparent,” Lester said in the news release. “Our police officers do not and will not stop individuals only to determine their residency status.”
But the Iowa Department of Public Safety has signed an agreement with ICE that establishes a task force that will include three trained law enforcement officers who will be deputized to perform duties including arresting and interrogating people who are in violation of federal immigration laws, as well as issuing immigration detainers.
Although the community was disappointed about the festival, it’s important to keep on going, focus on the positives and look forward to the festival next year, Leyva said.
“In life there’s always going to be times of uncertainty, times of change, times where we wish things could be different,” Leyva said. “We shouldn’t focus on those who are spreading negativity. We must stick together, keep our heads up, move forward, and like we always say, ‘Sí se puede.’ We can get through this together.”
José Mendiola is a breaking news reporter for the Register. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him on X @mendiola_news.
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