In Kerman, the city's mayor confronted ICE agents detaining individuals, stating they were not welcome. The following day, a Fresno resident shot and wounded an ICE agent who was allegedly intoxicated and agitated on the resident's property. Prosecutors have charged the agent with multiple crimes.
Organizers in Madera postponed a cultural festival due to growing fears, and Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias reported a substantial drop in school attendance and employee turnout for farm operations, packing sheds, and fields. Construction has also reportedly come to a halt, with very few people visible in the streets.
U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, along with U.S. Representative Adam Gray, have written to ICE demanding answers about the purpose, scope, and number of detainees involved in operations in Mendota. Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the increased federal immigration agent presence, calling it a tactic to instill fear and harm communities and the economy.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security stated that ICE enforces the nation's laws and that claims of racial profiling are false, asserting that targets are based on immigration status, not race or ethnicity. However, a review of reported arrests found individuals with recent arrests and others with no apparent criminal record.