Philly Cinco De Mayo Event Canceled Amid ICE Raid Concerns

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The head of the Little Village Chamber of Commerce - which sponsors the Mexican Independence Day parade in September - says he cannot understand why Philadelphia has cancelled its Cinco de Mayo parade this year.

Organizers of the Philadelphia Cinco de Mayo parade say they are cancelling the parade because of fears that federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will swoop in and arrest people.

"I think they're overreacting, "Jaime di Paulo said.

Di Paulo is executive director of the Little Village Chamber of Commerce in Chicago.

"This administration has done one thing. They have installed fear in our community. And maybe that's why they have decided to cancel that event," di Paulo said. "I think Philadelphia is a sanctuary city, so ICE will not be doing anything, I don't think."

And in fact, ICE says it does not conduct raids indiscriminately.

Di Paulo says the Little Village Chamber of Commerce stopped sponsoring a Cinco de Mayo parade a couple of years ago because the Chicago weather was just too unreliable.

But he says the Mexican Independence Day parade is still on for September 10 in Chicago.