City of Chicago officials did not pressure organizers of the popular El Grito festival in downtown Chicago to change plans for the event amid concerns over the potential for heightened U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement operations, Mayor Brandon Johnson said Thursday.
The two-day event was slated to be held Sept. 13-14 in the city's Grant Park, but officials and organizers said they decided to postpone "Chicago due to possible U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity and a potential National Guard deployment," saying the festival's location made it a "more visible target."
"It is shameful that the President's reckless, militarized immigration enforcement tactics have forced organizers of El Grito to postpone the celebration this year," Johnson said in a statement. "Chicago