Organizers abruptly shut down a music festival over the weekend.
The reason? Possible immigration raids in the area.
The Latin-themed festival El Tour de Idaho de Los Inquietos would have taken place in Jerome, Idaho on Saturday. Organizers took to Facebook to explain the reason for the sudden cancellation.
Translated, the post from Colombia Events Center reads,
“Los Inquietos’ Idaho Tour has been canceled until further notice for the security of our race – we stand with our brothers in Jerome. Refunds are available at the store where you purchased your tickets. Thank you very much.”
A follow-up festival the next day would have featured other Latin artists and bands, including Los Inquietos, Terrenos de Sandy Downs, and Alex Meza, among others.
This second event also shut down following rumors of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids.
Promoter Sonido Tijuana Sound Events explained in Spanish,
“For reasons beyond our control and the rumors circulating in our areas, we’ve decided to cancel Los Inquietos’ Tour for the security of our Latino brothers. Refunds are also available at the store where you purchased your tickets. Thanks for your support, and remember to keep calm and exercise your legal rights.”
Speaking about the abrupt cancelations of both events, ACLU Idaho’s Leo Morales explained that community members were panicked. Yet, the organization couldn’t confirm the presence of ICE agents in the region.
Urging the community to remain calm, he added,
“Immigration is doing their work on a daily basis, that’s true. That’s what they do. It’s important for all community members, regardless of their immigration status, to know their rights in regards to law enforcement.”
Dan Hall, Jerome’s Chief of Police, said he didn’t know about any possible ICE raids. Yet federal agents could’ve easily targeted both festivals.
“It’s absolutely possible that ICE could do a raid and we wouldn’t know about it.”
Under current law, ICE officials aren’t required to work with – or even inform – local law enforcement officials about potential raids. The federal agency has previously said it would notify local police officers if a case is also being pursued locally.
Featured image in the Public Domain.