Lunar New Year Festivities Kick Off in Chinatown Amid Immigration Crackdown

Community leaders call for unity and strength as the year of the horse ushers in a time of celebration and resistance.

Published on Feb. 8, 2026

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As Lunar New Year festivities begin in Chicago's Chinatown, the celebrations take on a deeper meaning amid the Trump administration's ongoing immigration crackdown. Community members and leaders express a need for unity, strength, and resistance in the face of federal immigration operations and incidents of violence.

Why it matters

The Lunar New Year celebrations in Chinatown serve as an important annual reminder of the immigrant roots and community spirit that have long defined the neighborhood. However, this year's festivities are colored by the Trump administration's aggressive immigration policies, which have led to heightened fear and tension within immigrant communities across the country.

The details

The Light Up Chinatown event, organized by the Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce and other Asian American groups, ushers in the Lunar New Year with lights, cultural performances, and a call for community solidarity. Amid the festivities, community members and leaders emphasize the need to 'stick together' and 'charge forward' in the face of the administration's immigration crackdown, which has included several high-profile incidents of violence by federal agents.

  • The Lunar New Year officially begins on February 17, 2026.
  • The Lunar New Year parade in Chinatown is scheduled for March 1, 2026.

The players

Edward Huang

A Chinatown resident who sees the Lunar New Year celebrations as a 'yearly annual reminder that we are all still one community, sticking together.'

Brandon Johnson

The mayor of Chicago, who calls for 'a year of unity and strength' and urges the community to 'lead with love and to have healthy resistance.'

Nicole Lee

The 11th Ward alderman, who expresses gratitude that the community is able to 'celebrate our cultures freely without fear of ICE agents around racially profiling people.'

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What they’re saying

“The general trends are wealth and prosperity and happiness for everyone. Especially for the Chinese community that's built on immigrants settling here in Chicago. It's like a yearly annual reminder that we are all still one community, sticking together.”

— Edward Huang, Chinatown resident (abc7chicago.com)

“Let this be a year of unity and strength as the year of the horse charges us to do. It's to lead with love and to have healthy resistance and a rebellion to ensure that our city remains a welcoming city.”

— Brandon Johnson, Mayor of Chicago (abc7chicago.com)

“It just made me feel great that people are here. We are not afraid to gather. We should be able to celebrate our cultures freely without fear of ICE agents around racially profiling people. Now is a time more than ever for us to show strength and unity as a community.”

— Nicole Lee, 11th Ward Alderman (abc7chicago.com)

What’s next

The Lunar New Year parade in Chinatown is scheduled for March 1, 2026, which will likely draw large crowds and continue the celebrations.

The takeaway

The Lunar New Year festivities in Chinatown this year serve as a powerful symbol of the immigrant community's resilience and determination to come together in the face of the Trump administration's ongoing immigration crackdown. The celebrations underscore the importance of unity, strength, and resistance in protecting the values of diversity and inclusion that have long defined Chicago's Chinatown.