![\"Fresno](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/EPZ_FUENTES_SINGH.jpg\" "\\"Fresno")
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Fresno City Council District 1 candidates Rob Fuentes, left, and Naindeep Singh, right, during a Fresno City Council forum, Friday, April 17, 2026 in downtown Fresno.<\/p>\n
ERIC PAUL ZAMORA<\/p>\n
ezamora@fresnobee.com<\/p>\n
In a Fresno City Council race where views on federal immigration officers are central, support for the Trump administration\u2019s top civil rights official is the latest wedge issue.<\/p>\n
Rob Fuentes is calling out Naindeep Singh for supporting Harmeet Dhillon, the U.S. Department of Justice\u2019s assistant attorney general for civil rights.<\/p>\n
Fuentes and Singh are running in District 1, representing west-central Fresno. Current Councilwoman Annalisa Perea is not running for re-election.<\/p>\n
\u201cNaindeep personally vouched for Harmeet Dhillon, a staunch election denier with a history of restricting civil rights, and he urged the government to put her in charge of enforcing our country\u2019s civil rights laws,\u201d Fuentes said.<\/p>\n
Dhillon was known as a conservative civil rights attorney, commentator, and Trump supporter before her DOJ appointment.<\/p>\n
Singh affixed his name to a letter<\/a> of Sikh American advocates, calling for the U.S. Senate to confirm Dhillon in 2025.<\/p>\n \u201cWe, the signatories below, are Sikh American community leaders representing Gurdwaras (Sikh places of worship) and civil rights organizations across the United States writing to voice our strongest support for one among us, Harmeet Kaur Dhillon,\u201d the letter said.<\/p>\n Singh is director of the Fresno-based civil rights group, Jakara Movement.<\/p>\n Fuentes called Singh\u2019s support, \u201ca lapse in judgment.\u201d He criticized Dhillon for refusing to investigate Immigration and Custom Enforcement after the death of Renee Good \u2014 a protester in Minnesota killed by ICE officers after she drove her car in their direction \u2014 in January.<\/p>\n Singh explained why he signed the letter.<\/p>\n \u201cUltimately our board of directors sort of decided, so I put my name. I was part of a larger coalition. So yeah, it was out there,\u201d Singh said.<\/p>\n Singh said he \u201cabsolutely (does) not\u201d support Dhillon today.<\/p>\n ICE and the District 1 race<\/p>\n Earlier this year, Fuentes quit his job as a federal prosecutor. He said he was being forced out because of his public criticism of ICE.<\/p>\n During the Biden Administration, Fuentes worked on civil rights, fraud and wildfire cases. When Donald Trump returned as president, Fuentes worked immigration cases.<\/p>\n Fending off accusations he helped with deportation cases, Fuentes told The Bee in July<\/a> that he defended the government in habeas corpus cases \u2014 when detained immigrants challenged the government\u2019s right to hold them.<\/p>\n Singh pointed out the differences between the candidates on their views of ICE.<\/p>\n \u201cI actually don\u2019t know enough of his. I think he published something that that seemed a buck late, an hour short, but I think the bigger question is more about integrity, and when do you share your work? What type of work you do? I think that\u2019s actually the biggest difference,\u201d Singh said.<\/p>\n Said Fuentes: \u201cYou cannot campaign as a progressive, yet be the guy who helped hand the civil rights division over to the literal former head of Lawyers for Trump.\u201d<\/p>\n On his Instagram account, Fuentes posted a message<\/a> on Aug. 26, \u201cICE out of Fresno.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Harmeet](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/aag_dhillon_staff_profile_pic.jpeg\" "\\"aag_dhillon_staff_profile_pic.jpeg\\"")
Harmeet Dhillon Department of Justice <\/p>\n