When Fear Keeps Communities Home: The Cost of ICE Anxiety in San Antonio

For 20 years, Planet K’s Día de los Muertos festival brought San Antonians to Woodlawn Lake for a free celebration of remembrance, culture, and community.

This year, the gathering won’t happen.

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Planet K canceled its November 2 festival, citing what organizers described as the political and economic consequences of immigration enforcement. In its announcement, the company said it refused to bring people together.

“This decision was not made lightly. We refuse to bring people together under ICE TERRORISM & political war, and the immigration enforcement that caused ongoing conflict,” they stated. “Although we are taking a pause this year, we have faith we can return in 2027.”

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There’s no evidence that ICE planned an operation at the festival, and Planet K didn’t report receiving a specific threat, but the cancellation shows how immigration enforcement can impact public life even when there aren’t active raids taking place. Fear of what could happen can be enough to keep people home, discourage participation, or lead organizers to decide that bringing large groups together is too risky.

The Impact Beyond Arrests

This concern isn’t limited to San Antonio.

Earlier this year, LULAC canceled its annual Cinco de Mayo Parade in Houston amid similar fears. Organizers said there had been no direct threat against the event, but worried families could encounter immigration enforcement while attending.

“This decision was made after careful consideration by the Parade Committee in response to growing concerns surrounding ICE enforcement activity and its potential impact on the safety and well-being of participating families,” they stated.

The parade typically attracted more than 20,000 spectators, but attendance dropped to roughly 5,000 in 2025, according to organizers. 

Elsewhere in Texas, immigration advocacy organization La Unión del Pueblo Entero, or LUPE, has reported similar changes in participation. President and Executive Director Tania Chavez Camacho told KSAT in May 2026 that some members had become hesitant to attend meetings and events because they feared being stopped by police and potentially ending up in ICE custody.

The Roots of ICE Anxiety in San Antonio

Immigration enforcement has also become more of a concern in San Antonio. 

ICE recorded nearly 1,500 arrests across its San Antonio region between January 2025 and July 2026, according to KSAT. Recent reporting also found that the San Antonio ICE field office recorded the fourth-highest number of arrests nationally between December 19, 2025, and March 10, 2026.

At the same time, plans for a large ICE detention facility on San Antonio’s East Side have intensified local scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement. Recently, on October 13, the City of San Antonio sued federal agencies over the development process, arguing that required environmental review hadn’t been completed.

Against that backdrop, the loss of a cultural event that brought the local Latino community together may be deeply felt. The space on the calendar is part of the impact.

San Antonio’s Day of the Dead Traditions Continue

The Woodlawn Lake festival was free, public, and rooted in a tradition deeply connected to San Antonio’s Mexican American community. But it won’t be the only place where San Antonians can come together for Día de los Muertos this year.

Across the city, other celebrations are moving forward, such as Muertos Fest at Hemisfair from October 23–25, and other Día de los Muertos events are also taking place in the city through November 2, giving families more opportunities to gather, remember, and keep the tradition visible in public spaces.

The Planet K festival cancellation shows how fear around immigration enforcement can impact community life, but across San Antonio, Día de los Muertos celebrations are still creating spaces for people to gather, remember, and keep the tradition going.