County Legislator David Tubiolo, with performers at the Hispanic Heritage Festival in Valhalla
By Dan Murphy
The Taste of Union Avenue festival in New Rochelle was cancelled, due to fears that the event, which celebrates Latino food, culture and music, would not be well attended due to the recent actions of ICE.
New Rochelle City Manager Wilfredo Melendez explained in a statement:
“After careful consideration, Union Avenue will not be part of New Rochelle’s ‘Taste of’ series this year – a decision made to ensure our public events remain safe, welcoming, and successful for all. We’re developing an alternate way to celebrate and support the area’s vibrant restaurants and small businesses, and will share more soon. In the meantime, we invite everyone to explore our community calendar for free summer programming showcasing the best of New Rochelle, including NRCA Summer Sounds and the Downtown Summer Sizzle Concert Series.”
But a spokesperson for ICE explained that “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement does not indiscriminately conduct enforcement actions on random people at public events, nor do we target U.S. citizens for the purpose of civil immigration enforcement. ICE conducts targeted enforcement actions that are based on intelligence driven leads focused on aliens identified for arrest and removal from the United States.”
Media reports have ICE coming into New Rochelle to arrest 10 illegal residents.
In Westchester the annual Hispanic Heritage Festival at Kensico Dam Park in Valhalla went on but was not well attended, according to News 12. Two community based organizations said that Latino’s are not only avoiding going to the festival, but are also scared of coming into their offices for services, according to the Community Resource Center and Legal Services of the Hudson Valley.
