Please be informed that this weekend (Friday-Sunday), there may be a large number of cars in caravans related to the celebration of Mexican Independence Day. As residents may know, in past years, the caravan has traveled downtown causing traffic congestion and noise disturbances.

On August 24 2023, Alderman Reilly sent a letter to Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chicago Police Department (CPD) Interim Superintendent Fred Waller to request CPD’s plan to prevent illegal activity associated with Mexican Independence Day celebrations. Please click here to review the letter. 

At this time, CPD doesn’t plan to implement street closures unless caravans are headed to the Downtown neighborhoods. 

CPD and the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) have been preparing for the upcoming Mexican Independence Day celebrations and will not tolerate car caravans that create a threat to public safety.  CPD and OEMC will monitor events citywide throughout the weekend and have plans in place to manage traffic and public safety as needed. 

If street closures are enacted, the following access points to downtown will remain open to residents and employees:

• North Halsted and West Division
• North Halsted and West Chicago
• North Halsted and West Washington
• North Halsted and West Madison
• South Halsted and South Jackson
• West Roosevelt and South Union
• 18th Street and South State
• 18th Street and South Michigan
• 18th Street and South Indiana 
• West Division and North LaSalle

CPD will not require residents to produce a driver's license or access pass at the above checkpoints. Alderman Reilly strongly encourages residents to allow for extra travel time when traveling in the area.

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