Fresno residents detained outside courthouse as ICE check-ins rise, advocates say
Immigration advocates say several people have been detained outside the Fresno County Courhouse since July and warn of an increase in mandatory check-ins with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement./
The Valley Watch Rapid Response Network says it has received reports of five arrests in July involving individuals detained outside the downtown Fresno courthouse. The group, which monitors immigration enforcement in the Central Valley through its hotline, stresses that the figure reflects only the calls they’ve received and not necessarily the full number of arrests.
“The majority of them happened outside of the courthouse, where you essentially had immigration enforcement agents stalking individuals,” said Nora Zaragoza-Yáñez, a program manager for the Valley Watch Network at Faith in the Valley. “They wear civilian clothing, often cargo pants, with no insignia or logos, though a giveaway is how they’re constantly on their phones. They approach people without identifying themselves, and it’s only when the person’s family keeps asking that they respond.”
Zaragoza-Yáñez said that the group dispatches legal observers who can arrive at the courthouse within 10 minutes of receiving a same-day arrest report through the hotline. The legal observers verify the reported arrest and contact legal partners to provide consultations for people who are detained.
Jesus Ibañez, an immigration attorney in Fresno, said he has recently noticed a pattern among those who’ve been detained at courthouses.
“Individuals being detained at courthouses are typically those who have been in the U.S. for less than two years, haven’t filed any form of immigration relief, and lack legal representation,” he said. “Of course, some who have representation have also been detained, but that’s what I’ve noticed for the most part.”
Outside of court hearings, Ibañez said, individuals who have been detained often have a pending criminal case or have had their immigration applications denied by USCIS. He said federal agents typically go to a person’s last known residence. However, Ibañez noted that he knows of at least one case in which someone was detained during a USCIS citizenship interview in late July.
When it comes to ICE check-ins, Zaragoza-Yáñez said members of the Valley Watch Network are currently accompanying seven Fresno residents to their in-person appointments.
The group has recently seen an increase in requests for accompaniment services across the Central Valley.
“What’s changed is that people who were no longer having to report to the ICE office are now going through a more intensive monitoring plan,” she said. “Instead of the usual monthly check-ins, either virtually or through the app that they were doing, they’re now doing weekly check-ins, whether in person or online.”
Ibañez said that individuals who have been detained during ICE check-ins in Fresno either had a previous removal order pending with denied appeals or were recently arrested by police and instructed to check in with ICE, only to be detained.
“I’ve yet to see anyone who has filed for immigration relief and is complying with all requirements be detained,” he said.
ICE did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
This story was originally published August 27, 2025 at 1:50 PM with the headline "Fresno residents detained outside courthouse as ICE check-ins rise, advocates say."
