What's at stake:
As ICE activity increases nationwide, Fresno attorneys, nonprofits, and community groups are mobilizing to provide resources to immigrant communities and monitor enforcement activity.
As immigration arrests surge following a White House directive to hit a target of 3,000 arrests per day, Fresno-area nonprofits are ramping up efforts to warn communities about looming Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol operations.
As of June 15, ICE detained 56,397 people, according to ICE detention data. Of those, 71.7%—or 40,433—had no criminal record. In May, ICE made 23,662 arrests. In comparison, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) was responsible for 5,234 of the 28,896 people who were taken into ICE custody that month, according to a TRAC immigration fact sheet.
The uptick of immigration arrests are part of “Operation At Large,” a nationwide, ICE-led plan already underway to ramp up arrests of unauthorized immigrants, including more than 5,000 personnel from across federal law enforcement agencies and up to 21,000 National Guard troops, first reported by NBC News.
In Fresno, there have been both reported and potential sightings of ICE activity—for example, a Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias warned during a June 12 city council meeting that ICE might be present at the Cherry Avenue Auction the following weekend, which didn’t happen.
Among agricultural workers, recent reports of sightings of ICE vehicles and personnel have sparked fear, leading to increased worker absences in Fresno and the greater San Joaquin Valley.
Faith in the Valley, which runs a rapid response hotline, has recorded around 12 confirmed incidents of ongoing ICE activity across Fresno County in the past two months—including at ISAP centers and around courthouses in Fresno, and most recently in Huron and Coalinga within the past week, according to Elizabeth Lopez, communication and development coordinator for Faith in the Valley.
Lopez said the real number may be higher because ICE agents are using unmarked vehicles, wearing masks, and are in plainclothes.
“The lack of clear identification has not only caused confusion and fear among community members who are following the rules and going to their scheduled court appointments, or going about their day, but has also made it difficult for community members and local officials to know when immigration enforcement is happening,” Lopez said.
Immigration enforcement in Fresno
Olga Grosh, an immigration attorney in Fresno, said trust has “completely eroded” in the idea that the law will protect people and be applied fairly, regardless of immigration status, or whether they are “getting in line.”
Grosh cited January’s incident in Kern County where people of color, including U.S. citizens, remain concerned about being wrongfully detained because their legal status was questioned or disregarded.
In April, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking the U.S. Border Patrol from conducting unlawful stops and arrests in future operations across the Eastern District of California, which spans from Bakersfield to the Oregon border. The ruling requires agents to follow constitutional protections, document stops and arrests, and receive guidance to ensure compliance with the Fourth Amendment and federal law.
Grosh said Trump’s initial announcement to scale back farm raids, was largely political, noting that it makes little difference where a person is detained, whether in the fields, at school drop-off, or in a supermarket, because “the effect is the same:” once detained or deported, immigrants won’t be showing up to work.
Trump recently said in an interview on Fox News that the administration is working to develop a temporary pass for immigrants who work in certain industries, including farmers and hotel workers
In response to the mixed messages, some agricultural groups in the Central Valley are shifting their focus toward advocating for more comprehensive immigration reform, including support for the Farm Workforce Modernization Act—a bill that would provide a path to legal status for farmworkers, their spouses, and minor children.
On Father’s Day, individuals in plain clothes with their faces covered by neck gaiters tied the hands of two undocumented immigrants and detained them as they waited in line for an “emergency” ISAP check-in at the downtown Fresno office. Fresnoland recently confirmed with government spokespeople that CBP agents assisted in the immigration enforcement action, which was led by ICE.
Immigration attorney Jesús Ibañez, who witnessed the incident with over 100 others, said the increased enforcement reflects a broader national trend, driven by policy changes that set higher quotas for detentions and deportations.
Ibañez added that if local police don’t cooperate with ICE due to state policy, federal agencies, whether that be ICE or others, tend to directly target individuals more frequently—through raids, visits to homes, or other tactics—a pattern seen nationwide.
“We can assume this enforcement will only create more chaos in the community—we’ve already seen the consequences,” said Ibañez. “There will be repercussions for the local economy, small businesses, working individuals, families with school children—people are afraid to go out in the streets.”
Rosemary Gomez, volunteer attorney with the Valley Watch Rapid Response Network, said she’s unsure whether large-scale raids will occur in the Central Valley.
However, if they do, she believes immigration attorneys will be prepared with litigation templates to push back and remind immigration authorities that the rule of law still stands — and that federal judges remain committed to upholding immigrants’ constitutional protections against unreasonable searches and seizures.
Gomez said ICE and other agencies are increasingly using existing tools to closely monitor people in deportation proceedings and carry out removals quickly—often without regard for due process or access to counsel.
“When we see fear spreading and families and community members witness terrorizing scenes of people being ripped away from their families and communities it only serves to leave more immigrant families vulnerable,” said Gomez. “[This leads to] health complications coming about and a host of social issues such as houselessness or inability to put food on the table because they fear going about their daily lives.”
‘Increasingly discriminatory‘
Gomez said the Valley Watch Network hotline is playing a crucial role amid the current political climate, receiving calls from community members terrified of immigration enforcement or in removal proceedings who can’t reach legal service providers that are consistently at full capacity.
While this isn’t the hotline’s intended purpose, said Gomez, and Valley Watch Network doesn’t encourage its use for this reason—it’s often the only place callers can speak to a real person. In response, Gomez said the network is working to address emerging legal needs, such as the recent surge in calls about ICE check-ins.
Gomez said that Valley Watch Network is working to build capacity and infrastructure to meet current needs by mapping the immigration services landscape for quicker referrals and reducing the burden on community members to find help.
When service gaps exist, Gomez said, the network mobilizes volunteers—for example, to accompany individuals to ICE check-ins, where fear of detention is rising. They’re also recruiting volunteer legal responders for immediate consultations, emergency assistance, and preparation for larger enforcement actions.
Faith in the Valley is undertaking efforts closely aligned with those of the Valley Watch Network—providing rapid support, mobilizing volunteers, and responding to urgent community needs.
The network has confirmed dozens of reports in the Central Valley since Border Patrol operations began in Kern County in January.
The group, Lopez said, continues to monitor immigration enforcement threats and connect undocumented individuals with attorneys and relief funds.
Lopez said the organization doesn’t track occupation data from the people they’ve spoken with. However, given the “increasingly discriminatory” nature of ICE’s practices, she noted, “it’s safe to say that a large portion of people being targeted work in farming, hospitality, restaurant, and construction industries.”
Grosh said the best thing immigrant communities can do right now is know their rights and explore all available immigration options.
She urged people to consult an attorney or accredited representative, apply for any eligible forms of relief—ideally more than one—and have a backup plan in case of detention, including who to call, who to notify, and child care arrangements.
What mobilization efforts look like moving forward
In Fresno, two “No Kings” protests took place alongside national protests on June 14, the day of Trump’s birthday and a military parade he held that cost up to $45 million and saw low turnout.
At the Cary Park protest, representatives of the San Joaquin Valley Resistance (SJVR) network who organized the protest said that there were around 4,000 protesters.
A lead organizer with SJVR, speaking anonymously due to fear of retaliation, said the coalition plans to center community building, mutual aid, and education alongside its protest organizing. As a decentralized group, SJVR members often work on multiple projects simultaneously.
On July 17, SJVR members and others in Fresno will take part in a nationwide “Good Trouble Lives On” protest to respond to the attacks on civil and human rights by the Trump administration.
Upcoming mobilization efforts include a July 8 event in partnership with Hops and Talks that featured a presentation on organizing and protest strategies. Several members are also active in rapid response calls to action, and the group is currently in discussions with the Valley Watch Rapid Response Network to recruit volunteers for dispatcher and legal observer training.
SJVR also connects people seeking help—often from places like Modesto and Bakersfield—to partner organizations better equipped to assist.
On June 26, the May 1st Committee and Raza Against War held a press conference outside City Hall to show support for immigrant communities and emphasize the importance of reporting possible enforcement sightings, particularly at local businesses.
Gloria Hernandez, co-chair of Raza Against War, urged local businesses to post signs denying ICE and Border Patrol agents entry without a warrant, reminding them that they have the right to do so under the law.
“Our people have kept this valley alive economically, if not for them, this valley would not exist,” said Hernandez. “We’re the ones that plant the seeds, we’re the ones that level the land, we’re the ones that water the land. And yet, not too long ago, they called our people essential workers, and now they’re being called criminals. If a business owner cannot stand firm and say, I will honor and respect the consumer that comes and purchases for me. Then I got a problem.”
