Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month lasts from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. The celebrations commemorate the rich history and culture of those who identify as Latinx and/or Hispanic. Recently, laws reinforced by the Trump administration have made it challenging for some people to come forward and openly celebrate this month.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was created in 2003. According to its official website, it aims to “protect national security and public safety by enforcing federal laws and prosecuting cross-border crime.” ICE is composed of two main task forces: Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which deals with transnational crimes, and Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO), which enforces immigration laws. ICE reports to the president, who appoints the director of the organization.
The current administration has increased funding for the immigration department. In July, 2025, Congress approved legislation that gave $170 billion to immigration and border enforcement. Funding for ICE specifically increased from around eight billion dollars before the current administration to around $28.7 billion now. As a result of the additional funding, there has been an increase in the presence of ICE within cities and towns in recent months. There has been a growing number of reported instances of ICE raiding towns and homes and detaining individuals.
“We’ve seen our family members and friends from Southern California be picked up by ICE on their way to school or work, and so it just puts a lot more pressure on us here in the Bay, because we’re like, what if we’re next?” Itzel Vasquez Calvo, an Ethnic Studies teacher at Berkeley High School, said.
Berkeley is considered a “City of Refuge” and a sanctuary city. A sanctuary city is a city that enacts policies to limit its cooperation between the local and state governments and the federal government regarding immigration measures. In mid-2025, the Department of Justice began filing lawsuits against sanctuary jurisdictions, laws that limit the policy’s effectiveness. This led some sanctuary cities to revoke all of their jurisdiction over immigration officers. In other cities, it led to the city’s laws officially being in direct conflict with federal laws. Berkeley is one of the many cities that have had lawsuits filed against them, but they remain committed to maintaining their sanctuary status.
With Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations beginning, some people have been scared to go out and celebrate their culture for fear of ICE. Calvo is from Oaxaca, Mexico, and said she has many family members who are scared about what might happen if they attend celebrations. “(My family is) only willing to put themselves at risk for essential things, like getting groceries and going to their jobs and so the other festivals or concerts or parades, is kind of secondary like, ‘Oh, we don’t have to, we don’t want to put ourselves out there for no reason,’” Calvo said.
On Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, an event called “Comunidad en al Placita” took place, organized by the Latinos Unidos de Berkeley organization. The event was supposed to be held at Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park, but many vendors moved inside the BHS campus in order to feel safer and protected.
The relocation came at a cost. “It was really poorly attended. Normally, there are a lot of people that come, and there’s a lot of music, and it feels very celebratory, but it was very muted. (...) People are erring on the side of caution and staying home and maybe gathering at home,” Susi Lopez, a Spanish teacher at BHS, said.
Under the presidential administration, many Latinx people are skeptical about attending celebrations this year. “As the federal government attacks our community and abducts people through racial profiling across the nation, many Latine people are afraid of being targeted. Many Hispanic Heritage Month events were brought to more secure locations this year to ensure we can all celebrate safely,” Berkeley Council member Cecilia Lunaparra said, “To me, this highlights the resilience of our community and the importance of coming together to celebrate our beautiful and diverse cultures.” Lunaparra is Mexican American with a mixed ethnic background, with parents who immigrated to the United States in the 90s.
The presence of ICE goes even further than events like those during Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month. Raquel L’Esperance Feldman, a junior at BHS, said, “I feel like the detentions and raids go deeper than just the celebrations this month because more immigration enforcement has been stopping many other events. For example, I know that Bad Bunny didn’t even plan a tour in the U.S.” Bad Bunny, a prominent and popular Puerto Rican Latin music artist, didn’t put tour dates in the U.S. in fear that U.S. immigration authorities could raid his venues to target his fans.
As federal immigration policy shifts, many still question where they can feel safe in the U.S. Despite this, the Latinx/Hispanic community continues to celebrate and take pride in its rich culture. Multiple celebrations still took place, including El Grito de Delores on Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, at Civic Center Plaza in San Francisco, and the Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, King of the Streets Lowrider Parade and Festival in San Francisco. The Lowrider parade was extremely successful this year, bringing together many people of Latinx/Hispanic heritage. According to many, celebrations like these are what bring the community together. “(ICE is) not gonna stop me and my family from enjoying ourselves and finding community … that’s literally the only thing that’s going to help us,” Calvo said.