Fresno-area immigration groups scramble to respond to recent Central Valley raids. Do you know your rights?

Last week in Kern County, a wife called a local watch network after her husband was detained by immigration agents while buying diapers at Walmart for their 1-year-old. 

She stayed in the car as agents stopped him in the parking lot and then tapped on her window, ordering her to leave.

This is just one example of the dozens of confirmed reports tracked by Faith in the Valley’s watch network and the Central Valley Rapid Response Network, which include Border Patrol conducting vehicle stops, going door-to-door, and operating near sensitive locations such as schools and places of worship.

Blanca Ojeda, a volunteer for Faith in the Valley’s watch network, said that confirmed reports are handled by trained volunteers who are notified through the hotlines and are responsible for verifying, documenting, and reporting on Border Patrol and ICE operations. Verification may involve documented photos or videos, multiple witness accounts, and the expertise of immigration attorneys.

The reports are part of a larger operation by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents from El Centro, near the Mexico border, in Kern County last week that Border Protection said resulted in at least 78 arrests. 

On social media, Border Patrol’s El Centro Sector said agents arrested individuals in Kern County “who are unlawfully in the U.S.” from Peru, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Ecuador, and China.

In some back-and-forth debate on the post, Border Patrol social media managers said those arrested have “criminal histories” including “failure to appear, tampering with a vehicle, petty theft, felony drug possession, vandalism, burglary, inflicting injury on spouse, and child abuse convictions amongst others.” 

The post, along with the comment section of another post published two days later, also denies claims that Border Patrol targeted farmworkers and Latinos, despite conflicting reports from watch networks, immigration attorneys, and city and state officials.

Border Patrol confirmed that operations would expand into Fresno and Sacramento in both of the post’s comment sections.

Border Patrol did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday regarding operations in Fresno, including details about their targets, whether ICE is involved, or if anyone has been detained or arrested in Fresno. 

In an email statement to Fresnoland, a spokesperson from ICE said the agency “has no involvement in [Border Patrol’s] operation” in Kern County. They did not immediately respond on Tuesday about any potential immigration operations in Fresno. 

Each immigration attorney and watch network volunteer, except one, told Fresnoland that they have either handled confirmed reports of ICE presence or have legal cases involving someone stopped or detained by ICE in connection with last week’s raids.

On Saturday, Fresno-area Democratic lawmakers and immigration advocates held a news conference to address discrepancies between constituent reports and official Border Patrol details, demanding answers about its operations.

Fresno-area leaders urged Border Patrol to announce planned raids and adhere to protocols avoiding sensitive locations like schools, hospitals, and places of worship. 

The lack of clarity around operations has left community members fearful, leading to reported absences in workplaces such as agriculture, food processing plants, businesses, and medical facilities, according to Fresno County Supervisor Luis Chavez.

State Senator Anna Caballero, D-Merced, said her office has reports of Border Patrol targeting farmworkers in areas where they shop for food with their families and stopping farmworkers in vehicles, contrary to a Border Patrol El Centro Sector Facebook post. 

The news conference also clarified that the Fresno Police and Fresno County Sherrif’s departments are not involved in any operations related to the immigration sweeps. 

Responding to immigration crackdowns

Armida Mendoza, a Fresno immigration attorney and volunteer with Faith in the Valley’s watch network, said that immigration organizations and leaders throughout the Central Valley are “working behind the scenes to best serve and protect our communities so that they’re not alone.”

“We are on the front lines,” said Mendoza. “It’s our job to protect our communities as much as we can and to use our tools—like knowledge—to defend and support ourselves. Hopefully, it will protect them and help keep their families united in the next four years.”

Through the watch networks, ‘Know your Rights’ presentations, legal services workshops, family preparedness plans and sharing resources, several local organizations have developed safety tip guides for people in the Central Valley.

This includes agencies like the Central Valley Immigrant Integration Collaborative (CVIIC), which works with immigrant organizations to organize these resources. Jesus Martinez, the executive director of CVIIC, said the collaborative has received a significant number of requests for assistance, including phone calls from people seeking guidance and information about available resources, a trend that has continued since November.

Martinez said attendance at legal services workshops in Fresno and Visalia has doubled, from 40 attendees to much larger numbers. Last week, he mentioned that CVIIC had distributed 29,000 red cards, which outline people’s constitutional rights, and has since run out of them. As a result, they’ve ordered 200,000 more.

“We believe that immigrants are a fundamental part of this nation’s identity,” said Martinez. “The value of immigrants to the well being of the Central Valley is undeniable, not only in services such as agriculture, construction, education, but also our society and culture.”

Protests broke out in Bakersfield on Jan. 10 by the Rapid Response Network of Kern and in  Fresno’s Riverpark shopping center the day after, in response to allegations of racial profiling of farm workers and community members. The protests have raised awareness to local officials, including Mayor Jerry Dyer, who issued a statement on Jan. 13 to affirm the “City of Fresno is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all our residents.”

Katie Kavanagh, senior attorney at the California Collaborative for Immigration Justice (CCIJ), is leading the organization’s legal response to the recent immigration sweeps in the Central Valley. She is also working with rapid response networks to verify reports of detentions and provide legal assistance. 

A report is considered credible, Kavanagh said, if it is verified by trusted sources, like herself and other immigration attorneys, through direct conversations and documentation.

“The reports we’re receiving from numerous community members are definitely of racial profiling, of people who were not targets of any sort of search or investigation,” said Kavanagh. She also said that she has received reports of immigration agents in Northern California, specifically in San Francisco and Napa. 

Kavanagh said CCIJ is tracking how the “government is employing some new tactics, including Border Patrol stretching the ‘100 mile of the border’ rule by conducting operations.” 

Border Patrol is charged with enforcing immigration laws within 100 miles of any port of entry, coast or border, whether it’s the Mexico-U.S. border, the Canada-U.S. border, or any international port of entry or coast. Border Patrol’s jurisdiction can sometimes extend beyond the 100-mile range if they have “reasonable suspicion” or “probable cause.”

Fresnoland asked immigration attorneys and community organizers about the reasons behind Border Patrol’s operations. Aside from Kavanagh and Mendoza, who offered only suspicions, the others had no clear answer.

“An agency like Border Patrol, which has a history of corruption and abuse and pushing their legal boundaries, are anticipating a great deal more power in funding when Trump comes into office,” said Kavanagh. “And are either flexing that energy a little early and or testing out tactics, for logistical, propaganda or media attention.”

How to stay safe during sweeps

Elizabeth Camarena, an immigration attorney based in Fresno, said one of the most important tips for families is to make plans with their loved ones if they encounter immigration authorities, are detained, and to keep an attorney in the loop about the plans.

“We’ve seen families break under this stress,” said Camarena. “Many children have been placed with individuals who were unprepared to care for them, straining or even breaking familial or friendship ties. This underscores why having these conversations, both with legal professionals and trusted individuals, is critical.”

Part of being prepared, said Camarena, involves understanding your documentation—knowing which personal identification you may need to carry, recognizing that government-issued documents, such as warrants, can often look very similar, and ensuring you have arrangements for legal authority or power of attorney.

Olga Grosh Pratt and Ciaran Pratt, immigration attorneys in Fresno, are working on a case they said involves a U.S. citizen who was arrested during the Kern County operation despite having no criminal record and being a victim of a “warrantless arrest.”

Many immigration attorneys advise individuals who may be stopped by immigration agents to carry a red card and present it to the officer, ask if they are free to leave, exercise their right to remain silent, carry a California state ID if applicable, and avoid carrying green cards or other status documentation. 

Ciaran said that following these tips from attorneys, such as giving a red card to an agent, can help show that a detention, arrest, or entry into a dwelling was not justified or legal.

It’s crucial, Mendoza said, to focus on gathering and sharing verified information about immigration resources and warnings, as “there’s going to be a lot of misinformation in mainstream media.”

Last week, social media posts falsely claimed federal immigration agents were conducting more sweeps in Southern California, the Bay Area and other parts of the Central Valley.

Clinica Sierra Vista, a Central Valley-based healthcare organization, faced rumors of upcoming immigration enforcement at its clinics in Fresno. In a statement on Jan. 10,  the organization said they “have not received any credible reports to support these claims.”

“It’s important not to live in fear or panic and to be mindful of where information is coming from,” said Mendoza. “As advocates, we’re planning and coordinating in the community, to be ready to answer and protect our communities. There’s a lot of background planning happening.” 

Upcoming events for resources

• Faith in the Valley’s Valley Watch Network will host Zoom trainings that cover an overview of the Valley Watch Network and the roles of a legal observer, dispatcher and accompaniment. VWN is looking for more volunteers to assist in responding to the hotline to help those impacted by the sweeps. Jan. 15 and 16 starting at 5 p.m.  
• uSpark Valley is passing out red cards (available in English, Spanish, and Punjabi) on Jan. 15 from 5-9 p.m. at Sun Stereo Warehouse. If a business or organization wants to order any, they can email (usparkmars@gmail.com) or fill out a form to request them. 
• Salinas Valley Adult Education Consortium is hosting a state-wide ‘Know your Rights’ presentations with immigration attorney Armida Mendoza on Jan. 30 from 10-12 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. 
• “Know Your Rights” Madera Coalition presentation on Jan. 26 from 6-8 p.m at the Pan American Community Center.

General Resources

• California Rapid Response Networks hotline numbers.
  • Faith in the Valley’s Watch Network for the Central Valley (Fresno, San Joaquin, Merced, Stanislaus, and Kern Counties) hotline is (559) 206-0151. To receive alerts of immigration officer sightings one can text “Defensa” to 797979.
  • Kern County Rapid Response Network hotline is (661) 432-2230. People can also sign up to be volunteers.
  • Sacramento Rapid Response Network hotline is (916) 245-6773.
• California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued updated model policies and recommendations to guide public institutions in complying with California law limiting state and local participation in immigration enforcement activities. CA DOJ Resources for California’s Immigrant Communities.
• Immigration Legal Resource Center’s Immigration Preparedness Toolkit is a resource-packed informational document designed to help immigrants with no legal status or in mixed status families begin to understand the immigration legal landscape.
• Immigration Legal Resource Center’s Step-by-step Family Preparedness Plan is a document to help immigrant families can more proactively prepare for immigration emergencies that arise.
• ACLU Know Your Rights 100 mile Border Zone is a resource to help you understand your rights within the 100-mile border zone.​ It also covers the difference between warrants vs warrantless but with probable cause, and overall rights.
• Mendoza said people affected should consult their immigration attorney to see if they qualify for either affirmative or defensive immigration relief to obtain asylum in the U.S.
• Guidelines for enforcement priorities ICE | U.S. Department of Homeland 
• Rapid Response Network Kern’s resources on ‘What to do if: ICE shows up’ at your home, work, public, detains you or a loved one.
• Rapid Response Network Kern resource list for Kern County.

Local Immigration Organizations

• Central Valley Immigration Integration Collaborative provides resources and services to immigrant families through collaborating, mobilizing and combining resources with other organizations.
• California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice uses legal and advocacy initiatives, data and reporting, public health and immigrant detention and campaigns for liberation to strengthen and guide both grassroots and statewide efforts to dismantle detention and liberate individuals.  
• Consulate México of Fresno provides consular protection and assistance with immigration, human rights, emergencies, educational opportunities, health guidance, criminal, administrative, work and family matters.
• Centro Binacional para el Desarrollo Indígena Oaxaqueño provides information about immigration services, translation services in various indigenous languages, and medical and health care assistance. 
• Centro la Familia offers various immigration services including DACA, T-Visas and references for food and legal services.  
• California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation offers housing enforcement, education equity, immigration and citizenship, and labor and civil rights litigation services. 
• Central California Legal Services offers education legal assistance, family and migration, public benefits, health information and more services.   
• Education and Leadership Foundation provides  DACA renewals and information, family petitions, consular process, documents translation, U-Visa / VAWA services and more.
• Central Valley Farmworker Foundation offers education on: self-defense, nutrition, diabetes, finances, women’s health, and immigration forum.
• Immigrant Legal Resource Center trains attorneys, paralegals, and community-based advocates who work with immigrants around the country.
• California Immigrant Policy Center provides campaign and narrative support, capacity building, technical assistance, training and education on immigrant issues.
• UFW Foundation advocates for workers’ rights and protections for farm workers across the United States and provides services such as immigration legal services to low-income rural communities. 

The Central Valley Immigrant Integration Collaborative’s immigration services directory lists many other organizations with services offered free of charge or at low cost.