By the Santa Barbara Eastside Society
With heavy hearts and profound respect for our neighbors, we, the Santa Barbara Eastside Society, must share a difficult decision: The 2025 Milpas Street Holiday Parade will not take place this year.
This choice follows many weeks of listening, truly listening, to families, parade participants, parade volunteers, local leaders, and immigrant-rights partners who help us understand the lived experiences of our community.
Many have reminded us that although ICE raids may no longer dominate daily headlines, the threat to our Latino families documented or undocumented remains very real. The presence of immigration enforcement in our region, the fear it generates, and the uncertainty families continue to face are real, immediate, and deeply felt.
For generations, the Milpas Street Holiday Parade has been a space of joy, unity, and cultural pride, an event where every family, regardless of status, could gather safely and celebrate the rich spirit of Santa Barbara’s Eastside.
Yet this year, many longtime participants have shared that the level of fear and vulnerability they are experiencing makes joining a large public event feel unsafe. To move forward without honoring those concerns would contradict the very values that this parade was built upon.
After thoughtful deliberation, we believe that pausing the parade is the most compassionate and responsible path. Our priority is, and has always been, the wellbeing, dignity, and safety of our community.
As we look toward the future, we remain committed to rebuilding this celebration in a way that reflects the strength and resilience of our neighborhood. Our hope is that next year the 2026 Milpas Street Holiday Parade will return as an even more inclusive and empowering gathering for all who live in our community.
This decision is not easy. But it is rooted in care, solidarity, and an unwavering commitment to stand with our community during uncertain times.
With respect and gratitude,
Santa Barbara Eastside Society
There is just one person to blame: Trump. He is the one waging war on Christmas and on everything decent in our beloved country. Yes, the same Trump who just pardoned a major drug trafficker. The same Trump who wants Ukraine to surrender unconditionally to Putin. Trump is a traitor. Can there be any other explanation?
As for those of you who are in denial about the threat to our neighbors: Trump has already kidnapped and disappeared legal permanent US residents. Here is documentation:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/opinion/ice-immigration-green-card-detention.html?unlocked_article_code=1.208.EX4A.x67Hk5j7PlbO&smid=url-share
What will it take for his supporters to stop drinking the Kool Aid and wake up from this nightmare?
RobertB: Unfortunately, not enough people seem to care as evident by Trump being elected to a second term as the POTUS. He has a more than three years remaining in his term, so everyone needs to buckle up and prepare for a very/very wild ride. Several of my close friends are in the process of moving to other countries, but I’ve warned them that the grass isn’t always greener as it seems, especially for US citizens. I’m one of the lucky ones who can visit/travel/stay in other countries without any problems at all.
Bend those knees!
Bummer… Understandable but still depressing.
This is sad. No way ICE is going to hit a Milpas parade. And the State St. parade is canned too? Don’t blame ICE. This is an SB City flail. Own it.
Yea they are ridiculous for this call, such a shame, all my years I’ve never seen a crowd of farm workers or undocumented immigrants at this parade, so stupid
How TF do you know if someone is documented or not?
It’s ALWAYS projection with you low IQ RWers.
A ridiculous overreaction catering to the ‘immigration-rights’ crowd.
Yup I agree this is the dumb city administration just trying to act like this is a solution, bunch of clowns ruining it for all the kids and locals
Good. You should feel the pain.
Hopefully this shameful era will end soon.
Thanks a lot SB LIBS!!!
Blame yourself, you voted for this. POS
So you oppose illegal immigration? Travel much?
Try immigrating into another country illegally.
Here’s the thing—I don’t have enough respect for you or your ability to think to spend time engaging in debate. You’re simply incapable of having a discussion with any nuance. I might correct you or educate you, but that’s as far as my respect for you goes.
In other words you disagree, and have no viable way of debating me.
You are myopic in your approach, and do not think beyond your own point of view.
No one owes you or anyone else a response, and inferences cannot be drawn from not responding … especially when your comments are so poorly reasoned and display such bad faith.
https://thoughtcatalog.com/brandon-gorrell/2011/03/how-to-have-a-rational-discussion/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sealioning
Exactly!
In other words, you’re simply intellectually unable to have a meaningful dialogue.
You still avoid the question. What happens when you try to immigrate to another country illegally?
I am actually a citizen of both the US and another country, it was not difficult to obtain.
Some folks simply want to avoid the countries laws to obtain being a legal immigrant.
KAPO – I am a dual citizen as well. It is MUCH harder to obtain citizenship in the US. Most of those arrest by ICE have been at their immigration hearings trying to do it “the right way” so go ahead and stop that nonsense now.
Ka – What Sac said.
Thank me for educating and correcting you on the NCTC article and I will debate you.
CADILLAC – “SB LIBS” didn’t set ICE loose on non violent, non criminal immigrants who are paying taxes and contributing more to our economy than most MAGAts.
Pick up a newspaper.
Why are they canceling the parade?
Did you just wake up with a bad hangover?
They don’t pay taxes my friend
Do you k is that what you are saying is false and then you say it anyway? You don’t think undocumented immigrants buy things, or put gas in their cars? You know, things that are taxed…oh wait you must mean they don’t pay income tax!!!! Ah yeah well you’re wrong on that too—not all, but many do. In 2022, undocumented immigrants paid an estimated $96.7 billion in total taxes, including $59.4 billion in federal taxes and $37.3 billion in state and local taxes.
Kidsintellect – why do you even talk? You think you know something and decide to actually let other humans know what you think. I’m guessing you’re unable to feel shame or regret when you learn that you don’t know sh*t. Hmmm, wait, who else that is orange does the same thing?…. Let me think… dang it, I just can’t remember.
This is so easily, verifiably false – are you even trying.
CADILLAC – like I said to KAPO, you’re intellectually incapable of discussing this. That is clear. You’re either purposefully lying or are too lazy/dumb to learn the facts. Either way, you’re a child and trying to discuss adult issues like this with you is pointless.
Alas, and with a big dose of irony, the Trump Administration appears to be waging the very War on Christmas it has always blames on its opponents. It is the Law of Unintended Consequences again!
This has ZERO to do with libs, city council or all the boogey men you wish to invoke…. this is on the current orange man in OUR house… YOU voted for this, you voted for: cruelty, racism, misogyny, xenophobia, you voted for hate and division. Well, merry christmas, you have exactly what you/we deserve.
Indeed. These RW imbeciles are so clueless and predictable.
Wise decision, because of the severe consequences for anyone abducted, legal citizen, or not, so what’s next? Many Hispanics are Catholic, so surround churches during Mass and arrest anyone who looks Hispanic? That would be crazy, right? But who could have predicted the craziness of current events?
While i was all for cancelling Fiesta due to ICE fears, i think this cancellation is a bit of a knee jerk reaction from the City leaders. Fiesta would have been a target and it was very light this year compared to prior years due to people staying home.
Cancelling the Christmas parade on Milpas is the city 100% and why kowtow to Trump everytime he throws his childish scornful tantrums? Basic mentioned the State St Chistmas Parade.
I miss that parade dearly. My kids were in it every year, I was involved every year. But sure, let’s close State street so a handful of people can walk on the side of the road, let’s cancel our historic parades and community events.
The Christmas parade downtown pulled in talent from all of the high schools, talent from every corner of our county. The floats and displays were amazing and the crowd was as big as Solstice.
Sounds like out of control TDS.
You’ve been brainwashed, and didn’t have the non-shrink version.
They all seem to have the dryer set to MAX and forgot to set a timer.
Bob Harrison……. America needs a LOT more of our countrymen to get TDS so we can rid ourselves of this incompetent, cruel Scourge.
I love it when people who still cry about Biden and Obama, blaming them for everything from the current price of gas to the current lack of healthcare say in the same breath that people who oppose the current president’s destruction of our nation have “TDS.” It’s as if they don’t understand the words they use.
lol that one gets me too man, repubs love to pass that buck to prior admins. i remember regan doing this in the 80s blaming everyone but himself. shoot…..remember when his 2nd term ended? more than half of the grace commission was tried and convicted, man….alot of regans admin ended up being charged for something or another. now we have regan part 2 on steriods.
Totally. Remember all those people who always blame Ronald Reagan for the current mentally-ill homeless crisis? Shutting down mental institutions. I mean what about that? Oh wait….
Sometimes previous presidents make bad moves. If you don’t believe that, I’ve got something to sell ya’.
Um… because Ronnie did it?
Funny how the RW trash seem to forget real history, and make up fantasy history.
BASIC – nice whatabout there. “TDS” is what stupid people use as a blanket response to any criticism of the CURRENT president. You know, the guy ACTUALLY in charge…..
Whatabout you just stop. You, like KAP and CADDY are intellectually incapable of discussing this, as you are with almost all issues you cry about here.
I’m done trying.
Sac – we need to stop confusing healthcare with health insurance. It’s the insurance that is insane, not the care.
PRELIM – fair point, but I’m also referring to the healthcare crisis in Trump states where clinics are shutting down due to the slashes to health funding.
Ya, there’s that. My comment was to the larger WE. I think WE need to separate the two clearly when we talk about cost. Single Payer Baby!!! we so dumb.
Makes no sense to cancel this or any other event because a handful of people want to make some sort of political statement. Really? Thousands of people won’t get to enjoy the Milpas Holiday Parade due to dreamed-up scenarios. Another “nail in the coffin” for what we once referred to as Christmas. I couldn’t believe it when one of my neighbors referred to the menorah as a “candle holder,” which it is, but c’mon!
Since you know it’s a only a handful I’m guessing you can name them all? Go!
Preliminari: We need to first get those who are interested in speaking up about this to ensure events like the Milpas holiday parade are not canceled simply because “they” can. The constant state of chaos, confusion, and divisiveness is caused on purpose, but it is backfiring. If you want to do something “good” for many people in the Milpas area, contact Our Lady of Guadalupe parish to see if you can help with the damage to their property. A man wielding hammer decided to smash things to bits, including the tile shrine to the Virgin of Guadalupe (corner of Montecito/Nopal). Now THAT is something that many of us can get behind!
Wait, I just dozed off for a moment… Did you say something?