Hundreds Rally in Fresno to Protest ICE Detentions, Minneapolis Killings

Hundreds of people gathered across Fresno last weekend and through the week in protests and vigils denouncing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions and recent deadly federal shootings in Minneapolis. Organizers and participants said the demonstrations were driven by outrage over the killings and fear among immigrant families, and they called for immediate policy changes and accountability.

Rallies drew large crowds at River Park on Jan. 25 and 26, where organizers said hundreds assembled to show solidarity with national protests. The series of actions also included a Tuesday evening demonstration outside the ICE Field Office at 33 L St. in downtown Fresno, where about 150 people picketed, chanted and marched through downtown toward the Fresno Superior Court. Organizers named Party for Socialism and Liberation, Fresno Resistance and other advocacy groups as sponsors. In north Fresno, Peace Fresno led a Saturday afternoon protest at the corner of Blackstone and Nees attended by roughly 100 people.

Protesters carried signs decrying ICE detainments, chanted “Sí se puede” and voiced solidarity with those in Minneapolis. KMPH noted that a variety of people shared the microphone during a peaceful downtown demonstration that lasted about three hours. One protester waved a burning American flag during a demonstration at one site, a visual that underscored the intensity of emotion among some participants.

Local rallies were spurred by at least two separate Minneapolis incidents cited by different groups. One involved 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, who was shot and killed by an ICE officer during a federal enforcement action; the Department of Homeland Security and the White House have said the officer fired after saying Good attempted to strike law enforcement with her vehicle, while family members say Good was a U.S. citizen, a mother of three, and had no known criminal record beyond minor traffic matters. Other accounts referenced 37-year-old Alex Pretti, an intensive care unit nurse who family members say was shot and killed by a U.S. Border Patrol agent while protesting; family members said Pretti “is clearly not holding a gun… Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man.” Different Fresno events referenced different Minneapolis victims, reflecting a broader national wave of anger at federal immigration enforcement.

The demonstrations produced a safety incident in Fresno when a KSEE24/CBS47 photojournalist was struck by a vehicle while covering a march; the driver stopped and police immediately responded, and the photojournalist was reported to be OK. No other arrests or law-enforcement uses of force in Fresno were reported in the accounts reviewed.

The protests highlight public health and equity concerns for Fresno County. Organizers said the killings intensified fear within immigrant communities and prompted urgent calls to action; health experts say such fear can deter people from seeking medical care, decrease access to preventive services, and worsen mental health among children and parents. Local officials voiced differing tones: City Councilmember Miguel Arias said, “This is Trump's America. And we all warned of this kind of behavior, and these kind of consequences during the election, and we're starting to see it.” Supervisor Nathan Magsig added, “It's okay to protest. It's not okay to obstruct. And really, law enforcement personnel in general: these are people who have families as well.”

For Fresno residents, the wave of demonstrations signals continuing community trauma and political mobilization around immigration enforcement and civil liberties. Organizers have framed upcoming events as part of a sustained response, and residents can expect ongoing public action and calls for accountability from local, state and federal officials as investigations and discussions unfold.