Houston's Cinco De Mayo parade canceled this year amid ICE concerns, LULAC says

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The League of United Latin Citizens' annual Cinco De Mayo Parade has been canceled this year due to increasing concerns about ICE presence, the organization said in a statement on Friday.

According to LULAC representatives, the decision came after the parade committee, in consultation with district leadership, voted to cancel the 2026 parade for the first time since the pandemic.

"The safety of our children and their parents remains our highest priority," LULAC said. "While Cinco de Mayo is an important cultural celebration that honors heritage, pride, and community unity, no event outweighs the responsibility we have to protect our families."

SEE ALSO: Cinco de Mayo parade brings joy of community and culture to heart of downtown

Mary Ramos, LULAC District 8 Civil Rights Commissioner, says fear is widespread among families.

"These kids are terrified of either ICE coming into the school and arresting them or when their parents come to pick them up after school. That ICE could be out there again arresting their parents, or that when they get home from school, their parents won't be there anymore," Ramos said.

Ramos said while there haven't been any direct threats to them, she felt canceling was the safe thing to do.

According to research from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, as of Feb. 7, ICE was holding more than 68,000 people in detention. The same study shows that of those, about 74% had no criminal record.

Ramos said fear within the community isn't new. There was already a drop in attendance in 2025.

"We're used to 20,000 or more people out there watching the parade. Last year we had maybe 5,000," Ramos said.

For some, the parade means so much more than a cultural celebration.

Irma Galvan has owned Irma's Original restaurant near Daikin Park for decades.

"It's something they would look forward to just like July the fourth, the whole year. And it's a tradition for all the Mexican people here in the city, when we were kids, would come to downtown, and it was a family affair," Ramos said.

That tradition isn't just special to families-- it's also important to those who benefit from all the foot traffic.

"We look forward to the crowds, to the families coming to the restaurant, and canceling this parade is going to hurt everybody's business, especially downtown," Ramos said.

Ramos didn't get into specifics but said she's confident they'll be able to do it next year.

ABC13 reached out to the City of Houston for comment. According to a city spokesperson, Mayor John Whitmire said he is disappointed but respects the decision.

Although the parade won't be held this year, the committee insisted that the event will return.

"We look forward to bringing the parade back next year under conditions that allow our community to gather freely, safely, and without fear," Ramos said.

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