‘We’re not backing down’: Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe will go on in Des Plaines despite immigration crackdown

Catholics anxious about possible immigration enforcement activity during the upcoming Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines shouldn’t feel bad about staying home, a priest who oversees the event said.

“If you don’t feel safe doing the pilgrimage this year, it’s OK,” said the Very Rev. Esequiel Sanchez, rector at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Regardless, the two-day event — featuring Masses and other activities in English and Spanish — will go on as planned.

“We’re not shutting down,” Sanchez said. “We’re not backing down.”

The annual gathering, which typically draws as many as 300,000 pilgrims from across the U.S., is scheduled for Thursday and Friday at Maryville Academy, 1170 North River Road. It honors Jesus' mother, Mary, and commemorates reported visions of her near Mexico City in 1531.

Sanchez said he and his staff have heard from people worried federal agents will see the feast as an opportunity to make more arrests as part of Operation Midway Blitz, which predominantly has targeted Hispanic immigrants in Chicago and the suburbs.

When asked about these concerns, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson said the agency doesn’t conduct operations at cultural events or gatherings. The spokesperson insisted the agency’s enforcement activities aren’t based on race, ethnicity or cultural participation.

Regardless, Sanchez said federal agents won’t be allowed on the Maryville grounds without arrest warrants naming specific targets.

“We know our rights,” he said.

As in past years, Des Plaines police will handle site security, manage traffic and coordinate public safety around the feast, city spokesperson Brad Goodman said. He emphasized that the department follows Illinois’ Trust Act, which prohibits local, county or state law enforcement agencies from participating in or supporting federal immigration enforcement operations without judicial warrants.

“Our officers will not stop, question or arrest anyone based on immigration status,” Goodman said.

But those assurances may not assuage everyone’s concerns.

Sanchez suggested people planning to attend the feast speak with neighbors who fear immigration agents and offer to say prayers and make offerings at the shrine for them. It’s a nice thing to do for people who can’t make the pilgrimage because of inclement weather or other factors, too, he said.

“It’s a wonderful, wonderful tradition,” Sanchez said.

Virtual participation also is an option. People can observe feast events live online via facebook.com/ShrineGuadalupe or youtube.com/@santuarioguadalupe.

Sanchez doesn’t expect attendance will drop significantly this year because of the immigration crackdown. While he noted this is “an incredibly scary” time for many people, visiting the shrine for the feast is a way they can address their anxiety in a healthy way.

“It’s opening the heart to hope,” he said.