Long Beach cancels Día de los Muertos Parade due to concerns about immigration enforcement
The city of Long Beach said it's canceling this year's Día de los Muertos Parade due to concerns about immigration raids.
The annual event was set to be held in November, but the city said the cancelation was "a result of concerns related to activities in the region being conducted by federal law enforcement."
"While the city is not aware of federal enforcement activity targeting the parade, a large and very public outdoor event, the decision to cancel this year's parade was made out of an abundance of caution to address the genuine fears raised by community members, especially those who may face the possibility of sudden and indiscriminate federal enforcement actions that undermine the sense of security necessary to participate fully in public life," read a statement from the city.
The Arte y Ofrendas Festival, a separate event hosted by an outside vendor that's usually held alongside the parade, is also being canceled.
The city said this year's unspent parade funding will be combined with next year's budgeted funding, which leaves the city with $100,000 for next year's parade.
"The City deeply values the vibrant cultural diversity of its community and is looking forward to continuing our Dia de los Muertos Parade next year," continued the statement. "We encourage residents to learn more about resources available to our immigrant community, such as our Long Beach Justice Fund, by visiting longbeach.gov/ValuesAct or by calling our Resource Line at 562.570.4246, where trained navigators can connect callers with legal aid, mental health support, housing and other services."
