US cities press forward with Lunar New Year celebrations amid immigration crackdown

Major cities across the country are preparing to welcome the Year of the Horse with vibrant Lunar New Year festivities, even as the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown casts a shadow over celebrations in many communities.

Culture goes on: The Lunar New Year begins Tuesday, Feb. 17, launching a 15-day observance on the lunar calendar. Earlier this month, Chicago held its Light Up Chinatown event, where Mayor Brandon Johnson declared, “Let this be a year of unity and strength as the year of the horse charges us to do.” On Saturday and Sunday, Seattle hosted the 30th anniversary of Tet, the Vietnamese celebration of the Lunar New Year. This was one of the largest Tet events in the Pacific Northwest, headlined by Vietnamese performers Hồ Lệ Thu and the duo Trúc Linh & Trúc Lam. In Texas, Houston Botanic Garden’s “Radiant Nature” showcases Chinese lantern installations through Feb. 22.

Major parades and cultural events continue through early March. New York City’s parade through Chinatown is scheduled for March 1, with Lion Dance troupes moving from Mott Street and Canal Street toward Sara D. Roosevelt Park. On the West Coast, Los Angeles has expanded its programming to 12 free events, which began Jan. 18 and continue through March 1. It features the 127th Golden Dragon Parade and East West Players’ “Tam Tran Goes to Washington,” a play centered on a UCLA student whose immigration status leads her to testify before Congress. In Minnesota, the Twin Cities Dumpling Feast, now in its fifth year, will take place at Peking Garden Chinese Restaurant.

Why this matters: Asian American communities should not live in fear during this celebratory season. In January, federal immigration officers shot and killed two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, in Minneapolis. Another fatal shooting by federal agents occurred in Franklin Park, a Chicago suburb. These incidents came as the Trump administration deployed roughly 3,000 federal immigration agents into Minnesota by late January, though border czar Tom Homan said last week that approximately 700 would leave. Unsurprisingly, the crackdown has created an atmosphere of fear in Asian American communities, especially as agents go “door-to-door asking people where the Asian people live.”

Despite these turbulent times, the celebrations continue. The Year of the Horse, specifically the Fire Horse this 2026, is believed to bring intense, transformative change, a symbolism that resonates amid current tensions. Chicago resident Edward Huang, for one, told WLS the celebration is “a reminder for us as immigrants to all stick together and to charge forward, as well, no matter what happens.”

Quick reminders: Celebration attendees should know their rights while participating in public festivities. Carry identification, remain aware of your surroundings and understand that you have the right to remain silent if approached by federal agents. At home, do not open your door to agents without a warrant signed by a judge. Community organizations at these events can provide support and resources. Most importantly, recognize that your presence in Lunar New Year celebrations, among other events, affirms that these cultural traditions will endure.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said he expects the federal immigration surge in his state to end within days after conversations with border czar Tom Homan and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, saying operations should conclude in “days, not weeks and months.”