On a typical Father’s Day in the bustling center of Fresno, two unsuspecting men were ambushed and apprehended by what seemed to be average citizens. The clusters of individuals who made the arrests bore no explicit signs of being immigration authorities. Clothed in plain, dark tee-shirts and jeans, their faces hidden behind masks and sunglasses, they moved with an unsettling synchronicity. All that allied them to any form of law enforcement was the occasional badge concealed subtly on their belts.
As agents of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Customs and Border Protection (CBP), their subtle attire and lack of distinct badges have incited waves of anxiety and uncertainty in communities all over the nation. In the heart of Fresno, where the arrests took place, local police, municipal officials and immigrant rights lawyers are equally distressed by this new trend.
John Zanoni, Fresno County Sheriff, confessed his apprehension about mystery-bound ICE agents conducting arrests in civilian attire. In a conversation with Fresnoland, he expressed his fear of how such an event could be misinterpreted by ordinary civilians. The average observer, Sheriff Zanoni emphasized, could easily mistake these arrests for heinous acts of crime or violence.
The Sheriff also warned against potential altercations between federal agents in civil clothes and local police. He insisted that there should at least be a mandated sign of visible identification on the federal agents, such as a vest bearing their respective agency’s name or logo.
In alignment with the Sheriff’s views, Fresno Police Chief Mindy Casto voiced her complaint. The federal agents involved in the arrests should have driven clearly marked vehicles denoting the agency they represented, she argued. The Police Chief also expressed her concern over local police accidentally stumbling over undercover immigration authorities in their daily routines.
According to a report by Fresnoland on June 15th, three unmarked vehicles halted abruptly outside an ICE contractor’s office in the city’s downtown. Immediately, two men were whisked off the office premises and shoved into the rear of a Ford SUV by what looked like undercover federal immigration officers. Further communications with government representatives confirmed that the CBP agents were assisting in this Father’s Day operation, under the supervision of ICE.
Just a few months prior, in January, CBP agents had led immigration raids, detaining 78 individuals in Kern County. Fresno, even though significantly distant from America’s southern border, comes under CBP’s operational jurisdiction which is considered as air miles measured from any U.S. land border. However, in the case of the Father’s Day arrests, ICE, which isn’t bound by the 100 mile jurisdiction of the CBP, was in charge.
Last week, immigration lawyers bitched to Fresnoland about the strategy immigration authorities seemed to be adopting. By arresting immigrants who are complying with ongoing legal procedures at obligatory check-ins, authorities seemed to be instilling fear within the immigrant communities.
Senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California, Bree Bernwanger, echoed this sentiment. She shared her outrage with Fresnoland about the method the arrests were carried out at the ICE contractor’s office. She pointed out that the apprehended immigrants were actively seeking legal remedies to their situations, the success of which could ensure their stay in the U.S.
The Trump administration has set an ambitious quota for ICE to apprehend 3,000 individuals daily. The quota aligns with Trump’s campaign promise of implementing the most massive deportation in American history. Sheriff Zanoni confirmed his support for the expulsion of immigrants responsible for severe crimes, yet opposed the deportation of average, law-abiding workers, noting their contribution to the local economy.
Previously, Zanoni had conveyed his doubts about a mass deportation initiative coming to fruition. But now, with the broadening immigration targets and the change in arrest strategies, the Sheriff expressed his uncertainty about who would be the target of these operations.
This ambiguous tactic of undercover arrests by ICE and CBP agents softens the boundaries for impersonation of law enforcement. Fraudulent badges are easily accessible online at less than $100. Chief Casto mentioned her concern about nothing stopping a group from masquerading as plain-clothed federal immigration officials.
However, she reassured that the Fresno Police Department stands ready to detain any individuals impersonating law enforcement officers. Echoing her commitment to community oriented service, she firmly stated that local police are not immigration enforcers. While there may be occasions where her department provides security assistance, cooperation with immigration enforcement is not part of their remit.