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Two Venezuelan groups drop out of Philly July 4th celebrations, citing uncertainty facing immigrant communities

The organizations cited their community’s “genuine personal fear” amid the continuing immigration enforcement crackdown.

The Salute to Independence Parade moves up Market Street on Independence Day in 2024.
The Salute to Independence Parade moves up Market Street on Independence Day in 2024.Read moreTom Gralish / Staff Photographer

Two major Venezuelan groups have withdrawn from participating in two of Philadelphia’s Fourth of July events, citing immigration enforcement fears during the annual celebrations of American patriotism.

“This is not a protest action, this is simply an action to safeguard our community and respect the genuine personal fear that they face,” said Alex Moreno, executive director of Gente de Venezuela Philadelphia, which dropped out along with Casa de Venezuela.

The nonprofits, which announced their withdrawal Monday, aim to promote their culture and traditions through professional networking events, dances, and educational programming. They have also served as community messengers amid a changing legal landscape for Venezuelans who have become a target for deportation during President Donald Trump’s second term.

The decision to skip a July 2 block party called the Red, White, & Blue To-Do and the Salute to Independence Parade on July Fourth is not a knock on Welcome America Inc. or its parade organizers, who have been supportive, Moreno said. But shifts in immigration policy that affect Venezuelans and broader immigration enforcement made many wary of attending.

Trump signed an executive order designating Tren de Aragua, a gang born out of a Venezuelan prison, a terrorist organization on his first day in office. The move paved the way for the administration to invoke the Alien Enemies Act months later.

Citing the act, Trump called for all Venezuelans ages 14 and older who are members of Tren de Aragua and not permanent residents of the United States to be arrested and removed from the country.

The administration deported hundreds of Venezuelans to El Salvador’s notorious mega-prison, CECOT, despite a federal judge’s order blocking the removal. More than 130 of them were removed using the Alien Enemies Act, according to the Washington Post.

Following a broader shift in immigration enforcement, arrests of Venezuelans under the Trump administration have been reported during routine immigration hearings and check-ins in San Diego, San Antonio, and Houston.

In late February, immigration enforcement authorities arrested a Venezuelan construction worker living in Northeast Philly, citing a tip from a neighbor who accused the man of being a member of Tren de Aragua. The limited evidence provided to the man at the time of the arrest focused on his three tattoos — the names of his mother and grandmother and the word family.

Adding to the community’s uncertainty is a May Supreme Court ruling that allows the Trump administration to claw back protections afforded to about 350,000 Venezuelans in the United States through the Temporary Protected Status designation.

Moreno said many Venezuelans in the region have some form of legal status or have an open immigration case pending review.

“Yet everything you see on social media, on TV, and in the news about the raids generates fear, even among those who have legal status,” he said.

Deportations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey have increased significantly in the months since Trump took office, according to an Inquirer analysis of federal immigration data.

» READ MORE: Deportations are up 80% in Pennsylvania and Jersey amid Trump’s aggressive tactics

Since the start of the month, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has ramped up workplace enforcement in some industries. Last week, dozens of immigrants in the Philadelphia region received messages to report to ICE offices in Center City on Father’s Day.

For now, Moreno said, Gente de Venezuela and Casa de Venezuela are opting for lower-profile events to help lift the community’s spirits.

Though the groups will miss sharing their folkloric dances and various regional garb with the broader public, they hope to join the drill teams and veterans when they step off Fifth and Chestnut Streets and travel along Independence Hall next year.

Welcome America said it still has dozens of groups participating in its July Fourth parade.

“When planning, we take all scenarios into consideration so that the parade quality is not affected if groups have to withdraw,” Welcome America said in a statement.