What's at stake?
A group of conservative Fresno County leaders held a news conference to ask elected officials across the country to support Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, following reports of increased violence against the agency
A group of conservative Fresno County leaders held a news conference on Tuesday morning calling on local leaders across the country to condemn “attacks” on Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
The news conference was hosted by Garry Bredefeld, chair of the Fresno County Board Of Supervisors, and included fellow supervisors Buddy Mendes and Nathan Magsig, Clovis city councilmembers Diane Pearce and Drew Bessinger, and a representative from the office of Assemblymember David Tangipa.
Pearce delivered the strongest remarks at the county news conference, criticizing Democratic Party leaders, whom she and others blamed for a reported increase in attacks on an agency that, she said, only seeks to arrest and deport criminal and “violent illegal aliens.”
The speakers’ podium was flanked on both sides by headshots and details of criminals arrested by ICE. The majority of ICE arrests are of people with no prior criminal history.
Tuesday’s press conference illustrated a growing political divide, with conservative politicians continuing to support ICE and the actions of its enforcement officers amid widespread condemnation of their conduct.
“We need to have people all across the country, local elected officials — mayors, councilmembers, supervisors, assemblymembers — stand up with ICE, speak out strongly against what’s taking place,” Bredefeld said in a radio interview moments before the conference.
The United States Department of Homeland Security and the White House have said Democrats, or “sanctuary politicians,” have introduced an atmosphere that has seen an exponential increase in assaults and vehicular attacks against ICE agents.
Bessinger, also a retired police officer, added that criticism should be levied at Democrats for not introducing immigration reform creating easier pathways for citizenship, leading to an influx of undocumented citizens in the country.
ICE agents “are being forced to carry out their essential public safety and national security operations among the general public,” said Pearce.
Pearce later added, “anything other than support is an absolute dereliction of duty…their continued rhetoric of encouraging people to resist and impede the lawful and necessary operations being conducted by our federal law enforcement agencies is not only an embarrassment to their office, but it is intentionally putting people they are expected to protect directly in harm’s way.”
Some have argued those detainments are akin to kidnappings, and certainly unconstitutional.
Those arrests have drawn much legal scrutiny, as some have argued those detainments are akin to abductions and kidnappings, and certainly unconstitutional.
California state Sen. Scott Wiener introduced State Bill 747 to hold ICE accountable when they violate the constitution — a common refrain among more progressive leaning leaders. Wiener announced earlier this week that lawmakers could vote on the bill this week.
Tuesday’s press conference comes as millions across the country capped off the first full week of the new year with dozens of protests against the federal immigration agency over their deportation efforts.
Bredefeld said he had no problem with the demonstrations in Fresno, reiterating that he begins to take issue with protestors once they start to get physical with the federal law enforcement agents.
“We’ve had peaceful demonstrations, which, frankly, I fully support,” Bredefeld said. “I support peaceful demonstrations, people expressing their point of view. I may not agree with it, but I’ll defend their right to have their point of view. But it’s violent throughout the nation. It doesn’t take long for it to spread to other cities.”
The demonstrations follow the death of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old woman killed last week in Minneapolis, Minnesota after being shot in the head by an ICE agent. Some have upheld the decision of the agent, despite the investigation only just beginning.
Some national polling groups are beginning to show that ICE’s aggressive deportations tactics are now drawing majority disapproval around the country, especially after the shooting in Minneapolis.
