(Editor’s note: The reporter has been attending Latin ballroom dances in Chicago and other cities across the country since 2017.)
Latin ballroom dancing is a place where people can let their worries go, but in Chicago, fear of immigration crackdowns is upon them.
Chicago has become the focus of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. The Department of Homeland Security touts more than 1,500 arrests in less than two months during Operation Midway Blitz. Their efforts have included agents rappelling from Black Hawk helicopters to raid apartment buildings in the middle of the night and masked agents chasing people through the heart of Chicago’s Mexican community.
But DHS has not answered many questions about its operations. People are afraid to leave their homes for basic reasons like buying groceries.
“A lot of people who are undocumented or have green cards are just afraid to go out and do ballroom dancing,” said Nestor Gomez, a former undocumented immigrant and salsa dancer who lives in Chicago.
Gomez and others are feeling the shockwaves of fear in the dance community, which includes not only Latin dancers but also people from a variety of backgrounds who consider Latin dancing more of a lifestyle than a hobby. At least one ballroom dancing event was canceled in the wake of the crackdown.
Still, Gomez braved a rainy and cold Saturday night to attend a dance social in the West Loop. Inside, people we barely knew shared salsa and bachata songs. Together they focused on music, movement, and connection. Familiar faces dotted around the dance floor, pulling in to catch up with the speakers. When the song ended, the smiling dancers high-fived and hugged each other before saying goodbye and looking for new dance partners for the next song.
It’s a moment that plays out over and over again almost every night in Chicago, despite all the circumstances.
Chicago for now, but dance communities exist everywhere
Chicago and its surrounding suburbs may be the latest target of President Trump’s federal immigration crackdown, but it’s not the first. Florida law enforcement agencies partnered with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in April to conduct Operation Tidal Wave. Immigration raids in Los Angeles sparked widespread protests in June. On October 21st, an immigration operation was carried out targeting street vendors in New York City.
Each of these locations has its own Latin dance community with a local feel.
“It’s exactly the same no matter where you go,” said Andres Meneses, CEO and founder of Latin Street, which hosts meet-ups several nights a week at bars, restaurants and its own studio. “It’s a stress reliever…I enjoy it as a new hobby. For many people, it’s a life-changing experience.”
He was speaking at a Thursday night social gathering at Moe’s Cantina in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. The place was decorated with marigolds to commemorate Día de los Muertos. It was quieter than previous Thursday night events on Latin Street. Meneses said some people may not have come to protest because the chain’s owners voted for Trump. Owners have since voiced opposition to the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts.
Meneses did not consider canceling social events because of ICE’s ongoing operations in Chicago. He said that moment reminded him of 2001, when the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center left people scared and unsure of what to do. As events were canceled across the city, he was determined to keep his doors open and remembered the gratitude of those who provided him with an outlet for their stress and fear.
“Let’s keep the fun going,” Meneses said. “That’s what I do for a living.”
Chicago Latin Dance Exchange moves forward in the name of joy and resistance
“The REV3RB social event scheduled for October 5th has been canceled due to ongoing activities in the city. Stay safe! Stay alert!”
The social media post, which happens almost every month, arrived the day before the event. Organizers declined to explain the decision to USA TODAY. But the cancellation occurred Oct. 4, the day a Border Patrol agent shot and killed a woman after an argument on the city’s South Side.
Mario Cuevas was scheduled to host a special edition of Mambo Revival, an event tailored to the style of salsa, also known as “On 2,” in a week’s time. Will he cancel too?
“I’d be lying if that wasn’t the first thing that crossed my mind,” Cuevas said. He grew up in several areas of the Northwest and Southwest surrounding Chicago. “It’s happening very close to home. In the area where I grew up, where my partner grew up, there’s a lot of ICE activity.”
Cuevas said when she started looking for advice, she reached out to fellow dancer and event organizer Gregory Almonaud, who was scheduled to host a People’s Social the following weekend. Mr. Almonaud told him in no uncertain terms that he could not cancel.
Almonaud said she is a first-generation Haitian American and that some Haitian immigrants live in fear just like those in the Latino community.
“At this point, we can’t cancel. It’s really important that people find joy in the situation we’re in, right? Just go back to the ’60s or ’50s or the early 1900s, when there was Jim Crow and racism. … We made jazz, we made blues, and we were still able to find joy,” Almonaud said. “Art is a place to feel humanity with your neighbors and people who don’t look like you. So… you can’t cancel art events. You can’t do that. It’s too important.”
Cuevas said when he was deciding what to do with his event, he made the decision to continue to be intentional about Mambo Revival events because people were asking how they could help communities affected by ICE. He has decided to donate his social media proceeds to the Illinois Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition. The People’s Social Newspaper also followed suit. More than $5,000 was raised between both events.
There’s more room to dance than usual. Is it rain or ice?
At three ballroom dancing events held on three consecutive nights in three different neighborhoods, some wondered aloud whether the events were quieted down by ICE activity in the city. However, in a fluid community where multiple events may be held on the same night, it is difficult to say with certainty why an event will be sparsely attended. For example, maybe it just rained and there were fewer people on the dance floor.
Latin Street responded to community concerns by sending out a mass email blast. The studio and some events will have private “staff areas” that employees can use if they feel uncomfortable.
“We are committed to continuing our mission to represent and uplift Latinx culture for everyone who walks through our doors,” the email said.
But it’s not just some vague fear. USA TODAY reported that multiple sources mention ICE’s presence at a dance studio near the Old Town area. However, ICE did not respond to inquiries about the incident.
“As an immigrant, or formerly an undocumented person, there’s always been a little fear in the back of your mind. We’re always watching. We’re always looking behind our backs. It’s not as pronounced as it is now, but we always have to be careful,” Gomez said, noting that President Trump’s policies and ICE raids have heightened that level of fear.
Gomez has shared many stories about being an immigrant and has curated “80 Minutes Around the World,” a storytelling event that features other testimonies from immigrants, refugees, their descendants, and allies. He said he sometimes gets discouraged about his job. But the salsa community came to the rescue.
“It’s so encouraging to see the salsa community coming together and rallying to help immigrant communities,” Gomez said recently outside of Latin Rhythms’ Saturday night meet-and-greet. “Of all this, it’s the most unexpected thing I see, but it’s also one of the things that brings me the most joy.”
Cuevas was a Latin rhythm DJ that night, but he still found time to step onto the dance floor and dance with Almonod, his dance partners spinning and stepping within a few feet of each other without colliding. In between dances, Almonaud said the previous night’s People’s Social might be her favorite event she’s ever hosted.
“Salsa, bachata, dance and what we do saved me from the worst moments of my life,” Almonaud told the crowd waiting to cheer for the performers at People’s Social. “A large portion of our community is living through the worst of times right now… What I hope we take away from tonight is… that our actions will help make it a little bit easier for them, for us, and for everyone around us.”
Contributor: Michael Loria Eduardo Cuevas, america today
Kinsey Crowley is a Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Please contact kcrowley@gannett.com. Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky (@kinseycrowley.bsky.social).
