The Los Angeles County Fair returns to Pomona with rides, food, and family fun, but many immigrant families still worry about enforcement activity in public spaces. Here is what officials say and what visitors should know.
The Los Angeles County Fair is about to return to Fairplex in Pomona with its 2026 theme “Play Your Way,” inviting fairgoers to tap into their inner child.
But one question remains in the air: If you are an immigrant, Latino or undocumented, is attending the LA Couth Fair safe?
Despite assurances from local, municipal and county authorities, Latino-owned shopping centers across Southern California remain plagued by depressed business as shoppers stay away due to enforcement fears.
ICE operations are now quiter but they remain effective and constant.
“They’re afraid there’s going to be a raid and who knows what happens,” mall operator Sandy Sigal told the Los Angeles Times. “And even for those that are legal, I think the view is that they still get caught up in this, and why go through that?”
Sigal’s NewMark Merrill Cos. owns or manages more than 110 shopping centers in the U.S., including Santa Ana, Inglewood and Thousand Oaks, that cater to millions of Latino shoppers.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion in January 2026 to develop an ordinance creating “ICE-free zones” on county-owned property, including hospitals, clinics, and social service offices. This initiative aims to prevent federal immigration agents from using these public spaces for staging, processing, or conducting civil enforcement actions, aiming to protect resident access to services.
The policy prevents federal immigration enforcement from using county buildings, parks, and other properties for actions, requiring them to have a judicial warrant, while aiming to reduce the risk of enforcement in sensitive locations.
The policy applies to properties owned or controlled by the county, specifically focusing on places where residents access social services and healthcare.
The fair establishments should be equally safe.
“We’re still affected” by previous ICE raids, said Emad Dalati, owner of a UPS store at NewMark’s Bristol Warner Marketplace in Santa Ana. “A lot of customers I used to see in the past, I haven’t seen in a long time. They disappeared.”
ICE arrests have failed in recent months, and the number of people in immigration detention has dropped from a high of roughly 72,000 in January to 58,000 last week, according to data obtained by the Associated Press.
But in a sign of its continued determination, ICE, in budget documents, says it plans to remove 1 million people this fiscal year and next, compared with roughly 442,000 last year. The agency also has ample funding to carry out its mission, with Congress granting the Department of Homeland Security more than $170 billion for Trump’s immigration agenda last year.
The fair runs Thursday, May 7 through Sunday, May 31, and just like in years past, will bring back old favorites but will also offer new delights.
However, in recent celebrations at May Day parades and other festivals, as well as international soccer games, the Latino community has not reported arrests.
The best recommendation: take your precautions.
The fair, celebrating its 104th anniversary, attracts more than 750,000 people annually, and is ranked No. 26 out of 50 in the nation for popular state and county fairs according to carnivalwarehouse.com, with its shimmering midway lights and rip-roaring carnival rides.
“Play is universal,” Walter Marquez, president & CEO of Fairplex, said in a news release. “We’ll welcome guests back to experience joy, connection, and creativity in ways only the Fair can deliver.”
New in 2026
This year, the fair is bringing more entertainment and more food.
The Retro Row exhibit in Expo Hall 9, for instance, features throwback photo opportunities, including a giant version of the vintage toy “Wooly Willie,” and other interactive elements.
A pirate-themed play area for little fairgoers 10 and under is also new this year, located near the Lagoon.
A new show, “The Cutest Dog Show on Earth,” will also be located in the lagoon area and will feature rescue pups showing off their best tricks. Shows are held at 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m., and 8 p.m. on fair days.
Back again
What would a county fair be without the beloved fair food favorites, including everything deep-fried. The popular $10 value menu items will be back at participating vendors this season. Items and locations participating will be added to the fair’s website closer to opening day, according to fair officials.
Also returning are the fast-moving Barnyard Racers, where you can cheer on your favorite pigs, ducks, and even lambs to victory as they race along a special racetrack just their size.
