The organizers behind DeKalb’s Day of the Dead event said they plan to proceed with the annual celebration, despite concerns related to federal immigration raids targeting the Chicago area.

Laura Anderson, the owner of Create Health Mobility Clinic in DeKalb and a lead organizer of the Day of the Dead celebration, said discussions around safety and protocol are still early.

“We’re still trying to get a feel on what’s happening in DeKalb,” Anderson said.

The third annual Day of the Dead is expected to take place at 2 p.m. Nov. 1 in the city’s downtown.

It all comes to a head as organizers grapple with concerns about the potential for expansion to immigration raids and the impending intervention by President Donald Trump and his administration, calling for the mobilization of the National Guard in Chicago.

Similar tensions took place in California this past June when federal authorities clashed with protestors over the deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles, despite objections from local authorities, The Associated Press reported.

Anderson also is part of the planning committee for DeKalb’s Cinco de Mayo event, which is hosted by El Jimador, and Familia Fest, which is hosted by WNIJ radio. She said she knows from experience helping organize community events how important it is to consider safety and protocols.

“The closer we got to the event, that’s when we really were able to figure out where our precautions are going to be,” Anderson said. “Because it’s a lot of hearsay what’s going on and things change so often and so rapidly. ... I would say usually about two weeks before is when we’ll really lay down a foundation on safety and protocol, who we need to be available and who needs to be contacted if something were to happen.”

New this time, a majority of the festivities will be hosted at the DeKalb Public Library, 309 Oak St.

This change is in response to feedback that organizers received from hosting the event in years past.

Anderson said she hopes anyone who attends the celebration finds the festivities easier to navigate.

“In the last two years, we tried hosting it downtown,” Anderson said. “Each business would host a certain activity, but we found that a lot of goers were saying it’s a little too hard to figure out where to go. We missed out on this and that. So this year, we’re going to host it at the DeKalb Public Library.”

Some of the festivities at the library will include a display of ofrendas, or altars set up to honor the spirits of loved ones who’ve died; facepainting; crafts; a piñata party; and more.

Outside the library, people will also find food trucks and WNIJ inviting people inside their mobile studio to record oral histories and facilitate conversations.

Anderson said more awaits in the city’s downtown.

“We do have some businesses downtown that are going to host their own little activity or event in addition to what we have going on at the library,” Anderson said.

A selfie station and photo booth will be set up at Jubilee Art Gallery, 128 E. Lincoln Highway, At El Jimador Mexican Grill, 260 E. Lincoln Highway, vendors on the upper level will sell crafts, art, food and more.

At 2 p.m. the crowd will take to streets of downtown DeKalb for a procession, which will start at the library and head down Third Street toward Lincoln Highway. A moment of silence will follow shortly after.

In years past, organizers said the event has drawn between roughly 300 and 500 people.

“We’re not quite sure about the numbers this year in light of everything that’s happening,” Anderson said. “[We’re] not sure who’s going to come out.”

Anderson said she’s excited for Day of the Dead and its return to the city’s downtown.

“Day of the Dead is a very important holiday to [me] and a lot of Hispanic communities,” Anderson said. “It’s a day of remembrance. So, we get together, we celebrate our ancestors. It’s kind of a time where you get to learn a little about your ancestors because it’s not something you talk about every day all day long. ... From there, it’s just a big celebration that we do.”

Anderson said she hopes people will not be deterred from taking part in the celebration. But she acknowledged how some in DeKalb’s Hispanic community may feel.

“There is a big concern,” Anderson said. “People are nervous. They’re scared. They’re anxious. It’s hard to live a life not knowing what tomorrow brings. They don’t feel safe with what’s happening with the administration, but they feel safe with how DeKalb is coming together to help protect, honor, and respect them as people and not as this clump that our administration has put them into.”

Anderson said it’s important for people to come together and celebrate Day of the Dead.

“It allowed other people who otherwise wouldn’t, who otherwise would have thought that this holiday was bad or almost satanic, [to] know it’s just another holiday that the Hispanics like to celebrate,” she said.

Anderson said people may celebrate Day of the Dead in different ways.

“The cool thing is a lot of different areas in Mexico celebrate it differently,” Anderson said. “Some people celebrate it in the graveyards, and it’s a big, huge party. Others celebrate it at home. Some people celebrate it at church. Some people, it’s the whole entire community.”

Day of the Dead isn’t only on Anderson to see that the celebration continues this year. She has some help.

Anderson gave a shout-out to everyone who’s reached out to her about donating or volunteering their time.

“Last year, we were able to get a lot more grants,” she said. “But this year with again, the administration and everything that’s happening, a lot of people aren’t getting funds in themselves. ... There are sponsorships. There’s a way to help out. Volunteers are definitely needed. Crafts are needed.”

Anderson expressed appreciation to city leaders for helping to make the event possible.

“The city is amazing,” she said. “Working with them, asking them for help has never been an issue.”