The streets of Santa Barbara’s Eastside, usually alive with the vibrant sounds of folklorico dancers, norteño musicians, and the rumble of lowrider bikes during December, will be noticeably quieter this year. For the first time in over 70 years, the city’s cherished Milpas Street Holiday Parade has been canceled, a decision rooted in fears that the annual event could become a flashpoint for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity. The move comes after weeks of soul-searching and consultation among organizers, families, community leaders, and immigrant-rights advocates, reflecting a broader climate of anxiety in California’s Latino communities.
According to the Santa Barbara Eastside Society, the group behind the parade, the cancellation was not made lightly. “Although ICE raids may no longer dominate daily headlines, the threat to our Latino families, documented or undocumented, remains very real,” the group stated, as reported by KTLA and the Santa Barbara Independent. The parade, originally scheduled for December 13, 2025, has long been a space of joy, unity, and cultural pride—a place where “every family, regardless of status, could gather safely and celebrate the rich spirit of Santa Barbara's Eastside,” the society emphasized in its announcement.
This year, however, the atmosphere is different. Many longtime participants, including dancers, bands, and volunteers, have voiced that the level of fear and vulnerability they are experiencing makes joining a large public event feel unsafe. As Noozhawk reported, the organizers spent “weeks of listening, truly listening, to families, parade participants, parade volunteers, local leaders, and immigrant-rights partners who help us understand the lived experiences of our community.” The result was a difficult but, in their view, necessary decision: to pause the parade for 2025.
“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,” the Eastside Society explained. The organization’s board president, Sebastian Aldana Jr., and parade director, Tere Jurado, announced the decision with what they described as “heavy hearts and profound respect for our neighbors.” Jurado told the Santa Barbara Independent, “This choice follows many weeks of listening, truly listening, to families, parade participants, parade volunteers, local leaders, and immigrant-rights partners who help us understand the lived experiences of our community.”
It’s not just the Milpas Street Holiday Parade that’s been affected. The Dia de los Muertos Parade, a major cultural event that typically draws thousands downtown in early November, was also canceled this year for similar reasons. Parts of the Old Spanish Days Fiesta and the Boys & Girls Club’s Fiesta Carnival de Los Niños were likewise suspended. Even the Santa Barbara Museum of Contemporary Art pulled its annual Calenda, a festive procession known for traditional music and dance. The pattern is clear: fears of ICE enforcement have cast a long shadow over public celebrations in Santa Barbara in 2025.
These fears are not unfounded. According to Santa Barbara Independent, ICE agents have reportedly been active near Santa Barbara City College, UC Santa Barbara, and Franklin Elementary School as recently as October. From January through October 2025, over 600 immigration-related arrests took place on California’s Central Coast, including more than 100 in Santa Barbara County alone. Local advocacy group 805UndocuFund reported that Santa Barbara County ranks as the second hardest-hit area in their coverage region for federal enforcement operations, trailing only Santa Maria.
Community leaders like Jacqueline Inda, director of the Restorative Justice Education Center at La Casa de La Raza, have witnessed firsthand how these enforcement actions ripple through local families. Inda told the Los Angeles Times, “We know there are hundreds of people that are not going out of their homes if they don’t have to because of the fear of being spotted, reported or identified as a person participating in a more Latino or culturally sensitive event where they would normally do so without hesitation.”
President Donald Trump’s administration has played a significant role in shaping this environment. Over the summer, six months after returning to office, Trump ordered ICE to increase deportation efforts in California, especially in the Los Angeles area. According to a report cited by the Daily Mail, ICE has arrested more than 160,000 noncitizens nationwide with criminal convictions or pending charges since Trump’s inauguration. Santa Barbara, despite its reputation as the “American Riviera,” has not been spared.
Public opinion in California reflects mounting dissatisfaction with these policies. A recent report by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found that 71 percent of state voters disapprove of ICE’s performance. Meanwhile, a CNN exit poll last month showed that three-quarters of Californians are unhappy with the state of the nation, and six in ten believe the Trump administration has gone too far on immigration enforcement. Another poll released by UC Berkeley’s Possibility Lab indicated that one-third of Latino voters who supported Trump now regret their choice. According to Goodwin Simon Strategic Research, most Californians support due process for immigrants facing deportation, even those with criminal records, and 62 percent agree that sanctuary rules have too many exceptions, with local and state officers often acting as deportation agents.
For many in Santa Barbara, the loss of the Milpas Street Holiday Parade is more than just the cancellation of a festive event—it’s a sign of deeper fractures in the community’s sense of security and belonging. The parade has long been a symbol of resilience and unity, a place where cultural heritage is celebrated openly. This year, organizers say, “To move forward without honoring those concerns would contradict the very values that this parade was built upon.” Their priority, they insist, “is, and always has been, the wellbeing, dignity, and safety of our community.”
Despite the setback, there is a glimmer of hope for the future. The Eastside Society has made it clear that the parade’s cancellation is only temporary, with plans to bring it back in 2026. “As we look toward the future, we remain committed to rebuilding this celebration in a way that reflects the strength and resilience of our neighborhood,” they wrote. The hope is that next year’s parade will be an inclusive and uplifting event, free from the shadow of fear that now hangs over so many of Santa Barbara’s cherished traditions.
For now, the city’s Eastside will find other ways to foster unity and cultural pride, even as it navigates the uncertainties of the present. The decision to pause the parade, rooted in care, solidarity, and an unwavering commitment to community wellbeing, stands as a testament to the resilience of Santa Barbara’s Latino families and their allies. The spirit of the Milpas Street Holiday Parade, it seems, endures—waiting for the day it can once again fill the streets with joy.
