FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer is calling on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to pause and reassess how it operates in cities, saying agents need more training, accountability and a renewed focus on de-escalation.
Mayor Dyer made the comments Wednesday during a press conference in Washington, D.C., alongside mayors from across the country, where immigration enforcement was a major topic of discussion.
While the mayor says he supports the mission of ICE and the broader goals of the Trump administration, he believes the agency should temporarily pull back from cities to regroup and retrain.
“There is a lack of training, obviously, when you look at how operations are being carried out,” says Mayor Dyer. “A lack of training in the area of de-escalation.”
The mayor, who served nearly 20 years as Fresno’s police chief, emphasized that de-escalation is a core principle of policing and essential to maintaining public trust.
“One thing I learned that is fundamental to policing is that you have to earn the trust of the people you serve,” says Mayor Dyer. “That trust is very delicate. It’s hard to gain and easy to lose.”
He warned that current ICE tactics risk damaging that trust and could lead to unnecessary confrontations.
“We need to take a breath in America and maybe cause ICE to pull back, regroup, retrain, and then maybe approach us from a different stance,” says Mayor Dyer.
Not everyone agrees.
FILE – Mayor Jerry Dyer joins mayors from across the country for the 94th Winter Meeting Press Conference, to talk about the impact ICE is having on communities. (Photo: FOX26 Reporter Karl Cook)
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Fresno County Supervisor Garry Bredefeld pushed back on the mayor’s comments, saying the issue is not training but politics.
“It’s a politician problem,” Bredefeld said. “Like Waltz, Newsom, Mayor Frye, that’s the problem.”
Bredefeld added that he is concerned about elected leaders who oppose federal agents carrying out their duties.
“I’m worried about governors and mayors who oppose federal agents from following their lawful duties and getting rid of criminal, illegal aliens who have murdered innocent Americans,” he says.
Mayor Dyer stressed that local law enforcement and ICE serve different roles, and that Fresno police do not participate in immigration raids.
“We do not participate in any type of immigration enforcement or raids,” says Mayor Dyer. “That’s not our job. We enforce local laws.”
Fresno police later clarified their stance, telling FOX26 News that if ICE or another federal agency makes a specific request, officers may provide limited assistance such as traffic control, keeping the peace, or addressing officer safety concerns. Any additional support would require supervisory approval.
Despite calling for ICE to pull back, Mayor Dyer also reminded the public that federal agents have legal authority.
“Federal ICE officials or agents have police powers,” says Mayor Dyer. “They do have the power to arrest people and detain people, and they have the power to respond with deadly force under certain circumstances.”
He urged residents to follow directions during encounters to prevent unnecessary incidents that could turn tragic.
To avoid future tragedies, the mayor says ICE should be held to the same standards as local police departments.
“We want them to be held to the same standard that we hold our local police departments to professional, well trained, and de-escalating situations whenever possible,” he says.
The mayor also addressed California’s law regarding masked ICE agents, noting that Fresno police will not arrest agents for wearing masks, saying it would only add to tensions.
Meanwhile, Clovis Mayor Pro Tem Diana Pearce, who has publicly supported ICE, responded to the mayor’s comments in a statement to FOX26 News.
Where the accountability lies and where the trust has been broken is with those governors and mayors who are refusing to cooperate with the federal authorities carrying out their lawful duties.
She added that ICE should not be blamed for broader policy decisions.
“No one, Mayor Dyer included, should be blaming ICE for the failures and incitement coming from sanctuary policies and the elected officials who promote them,” Pearce said.
Despite the differing views, Mayor Dyer says his central message remains focused on preventing violence and restoring trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve, starting with a reset in how ICE operates.
Do you agree with the mayor’s stance on ICE training and accountability?