US Cities Revive Day of the Dead Events as ICE Arrests Still Unnerve Latino Communities
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Oct 31
US Cities Revive Day of the Dead Events as ICE Arrests Still Unnerve Latino Communities
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Oct 31
Summary
Henderson, Kentucky, and Long Beach, California, are again holding public Día de los Muertos events after canceling in 2025, reflecting stronger local demand despite lingering fear of immigration enforcement.
About 2,000 people attended Worcester’s revived 24 October celebration, but organizers there had hidden smaller private gatherings last year because residents feared ICE could target public events.
ICE concerns remain active: federal agents arrested eight people in Henderson in July, and San Antonio recently saw $51 million in ICE office leases tied to a planned 1,500-bed-per-day detention center.
That pressure is still reshaping community life, with San Antonio’s Planet K ending its 20-year celebration and organizers also canceling events in Asbury Park, New Jersey, and Fresno, California.