NEW ROCHELLE, NY (July 3, 2025) — The City of New Rochelle has cancelled plans for its annual Taste of Union Avenue scheduled for July 26.
Sources at City Hall say concerns were raised by Councilmember Martha Lopez about low turnout due to ongoing U.S. Department of Homeland Security / Immigration & Customs Enforcement. Lopez represents District #1 which includes Union Avenue and encompasses a large segment of New Rochelle’s Latino population. Lopez did not reply to emails seeking comment.
The web page for the Taste of Union Avenue 2025 was removed from the City website last week but no official announcement was made.
An Instagram post promoting the Taste of Union Avenue 2025 was also removed last week.
There was a Google Search result for Taste of Union Avenue 2025 still online last week but the web page has been deleted from the City website and there was no listing for the event in the City’s event calendar.
City officials ignored my email inquiries over the past week.
Robert Cox published the news yesterday in a story on his Words in Edgewise newsletter as part of a long-running series on corruption, the latest involving “Taste of…” events New Rochelle.
SEE: The New Rochelle Thimblerig — Part XXX
The first-ever Taste of Union Avenue in New Rochelle was held on Saturday, July 16, 2022. It was presented by the City of New Rochelle’s Department of Development and the Hispanic American Advisory Committee. The event had a legitimate purpose: a celebration of New Rochelle’s diverse Latin American community, featuring local restaurants and businesses, live music, children’s activities, and arts and crafts. Union Avenue is the main drag of the West End of New Rochelle and is the center of Latino, mostly Mexican, food and culture in the City.
SEE: ICE Raids Target New Rochelle, Mamaroneck in Crackdown on Criminal Suspects
Over the past six weeks, 10 people are known to have been detained in New Rochelle by federal agents — 4 at the Home Depot, 5 at Heritage Homes, potentially linked to the dangerous Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and 1 on a murder warrant out of the Dominican Republic. More ICE operations have occurred throughout Westchester County.
“After careful consideration, Union Avenue will not be part of New Rochelle’s ‘Taste of’ series this year – a decision made to ensure our public events remain safe, welcoming, and successful for all. We’re developing an alternate way to celebrate and support the area’s vibrant restaurants and small businesses, and will share more soon. In the meantime, we invite everyone to explore our community calendar for free summer programming showcasing the best of New Rochelle, including NRCA Summer Sounds and the Downtown Summer Sizzle Concert Series.”
An ICE spokesperson sent CBS News New York the following statement:
“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement does not indiscriminately conduct enforcement actions on random people at public events, nor do we target U.S. citizens for the purpose of civil immigration enforcement. ICE conducts targeted enforcement actions that are based on intelligence driven leads focused on aliens identified for arrest and removal from the United States.”
The Department of Development at the City of New Rochelle and the Hispanic American Advisory Committee presented the First Annual Taste of Union Avenue in July 2022. The event is meant to promote Union Avenue restaurants and vendors and includes children’s activities arts and crafts, live music, along with a variety of ethnic foods from all of Latin America.
Talk of the Sound ran a Facebook Poll on July 4 week asking readers “Should New Rochelle cancel its annual Taste of Union Avenue event on July 27 due to ongoing enforcement and removal operations by ICE?”
After 5 days, and more than 500 votes cast, close to 60% of readers supported canceling the event following a heated online debate.
Tony Aiello of WCBS-TV has more, including community reaction.
New Rochelle’s annual Taste of Union Avenue event canceled amid ICE unease