Santa Barbara parade nixed over ICE fears

WORRIES over ICE raids have led to the cancellation of Day of the Dead and Christmas festivities.

- BY RACHEL URANGA

Lines of folklorico dancers, norteño musicians and lowrider bikers normally burst with cultural pride at the Milpas Street Holiday Parade on Santa Barbara’s Eastside.

But this year, organizers canceled the event, which dates back decades, amid fears of immigration raids as some worry that their presence at the parade — whether immigrant or not — could make them a target.

“Although ICE raids may no longer dominate daily headlines, the threat to our Latino families documented or undocumented remains very real,” Santa Barbara Eastside Society, which organizes the parade, said in a statement.

“The presence of immigration enforcement in our region, the fear it generates, and the uncertainty families continue to face are real, immediate, and deeply felt.”