Faith in the Valley issued Monday morning a community alert about increased ICE activity in Fresno. The faith-based grassroots organization said communities should be on the lookout for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in the Valley.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis morning, July 20, we observed increased ICE activity at the Fresno ERO, including several SUVs, agents in tactical gear, and a riot shield,\u201d read the social media post Monday morning. The alert included photos of several black SUVs vehicles without license plates, parked at the ICE field office.<\/p>\n
The Fresno\u2019s Enforcement and Removal Operations field office covers Merced, Mariposa, Madera, Fresno, Kings and Tulare counties.<\/p>\n
Nora Zaragoza-Y\u00e1\u00f1ez, program manager of the Faith in the Valley\u2019s Valley Watch Network Rapid Response hotline, said, \u201cThe warning was issued for communities that are under the area of coverage of the Fresno ICE office\u201d to stay vigilant, to be aware of their surroundings and be on the lookout for the type of vehicles posted on the alert.<\/p>\n
Faith in the Valley issued Monday morning a community alert about increased ICE activity in Fresno. The alert included photos of several black SUVs without license plates parked at the ICE field office. Social media screenshot <\/p>\n
While Faith in the Valley has not received reports of any ICE sightings on Monday in the other counties, Zaragoza-Y\u00e1\u00f1ez said the organization\u2019s legal observers are either on assignments, standing by or patrolling their respective communities.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you are in these areas, stay calm, stay alert and remember your rights,\u201d the social media post continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re just trying to keep the community on the alert, not to scare them,\u201c Zaragoza-Y\u00e1\u00f1ez said. She said Faith in the Valley has observed an increase in ICE agents and vehicles, particularly SUVs, at field offices, which could indicate \u201ca greater likelihood\u201c that operations will take place.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are trends that we\u2019re noting, and we\u2019re issuing alerts on so that way community members know what the vehicles look like,\u201c she said. She added that the public can call Faith in the Valley to ask that legal observers go out to verify sightings.<\/p>\n
Faith in the Valley\u2019s Monday alert comes days after a coalition of Central Valley advocacy groups organized a vigil, rally and press conference Friday outside ICE\u2018s ERO field office location in downtown Fresno to demand accountability after two deadly ICE-involved shootings in Texas and Maine.<\/p>\n
An ICE agent fatally shot 26-year-old Joan Sebastian Duran Guerrero, a Colombian national, during an immigration enforcement operation July 13 in Biddeford, Maine. Guerrero\u2019s shooting took place less than a week of that of Mexican national Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, 52, on July 7 in Houston. Both shootings happened when ICE agents tried to stop their vehicles, according to the Department of Homeland Security.<\/p>\n
ICE was ordered last week to temporarily suspend vehicle stops in the wake of the two shooting. The pause was seen as a temporary win by immigrants rights organizations in the Valley.<\/p>\n
Zaragoza-Y\u00e1\u00f1ez said if people see ICE or immigration-related activity in their community, they can call or text the Valley Watch Network at 559-206-0151 and provide as much information as possible, such as what they saw, time, vehicle descriptions, license plates and any other details.<\/p>\n
A coalition of Central Valley advocacy groups organized a vigil, rally and press conference Friday, July 17, 2026, outside the ICE\u2018s ERO field office location in downtown Fresno to demand accountability after two deadly ICE-involved shootings in Texas and Maine. Contributed photo
A coalition of Central Valley advocacy groups organized a vigil, rally and press conference Friday, July 17, 2026, outside the ICE\u2018s ERO field office location in downtown Fresno to demand accountability after two deadly ICE-involved shootings in Texas and Maine. Contributed photo <\/p>\n
This story was originally published July 20, 2026 at 4:33 PM.<\/p>\n
Related Stories from Fresno Bee<\/p>\n
Mar\u00eda G. Ortiz-Briones<\/a><\/p>\n The Fresno Bee<\/p>\n Mar\u00eda G. Ortiz-Briones is a reporter and photographer for McClatchy\u2019s Vida en el Valle publication and the Fresno Bee. She covers issues that impact the Latino community in the Central Valley. She is a regular contributor to La Abeja, The Bee\u2019s free weekly newsletter on Latino issues. | Mar\u00eda G. Ortiz-Briones es reportera y fot\u00f3grafa de la publicaci\u00f3n Vida en el Valle de McClatchy y el Fresno Bee. Ella cubre temas que impactan a la comunidad latina en el Valle Central. Es colaboradora habitual de La Abeja, el bolet\u00edn semanal gratuito de The Bee sobre temas latinos.
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