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FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — With President Trump’s immigration crackdown unfolding across the country, there are new sightings of immigration agents at the Fresno County Superior Courthouse.
“There’s been a large uptick in the number of individuals who are being detained when they’re attending their criminal cases,” Fresno-based immigration attorney George Rios told Action News.
He says ICE recently detained two of his own clients. They were undocumented criminal defendants out on bail for offenses against state law.
Rios says they were each going to court to right their wrong.
“You’re trying to do things the right way, you’re trying to comply with everything, you were showing up to court,” Rios said, “but that opportunity is cut out from under you.”
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Action News has witnessed some of the courthouse detainments. In July, we were on the third floor when a criminal defendant was put into handcuffs by two federal agents in plain clothes, and then taken down the staircase.
Later that day, the man’s public defender confirmed in court, on the record, that who Action News saw were, in fact, federal immigration enforcement officers.
With the defendant no longer present in court, the judge issued a warrant for his arrest.
“That’s what they’re required to do, and it’s really sad and it’s really frustrating,” Rios told Action News.
The local warrant issued by the county judge can cause major issues for an undocumented defendant who would have otherwise been eligible to return to the United States.
“If he then tries to come back, and that bench warrant is still open, that can cause problems, and that can definitely delay things,” Rios said.
Action News reached out to Immigration and Customs Enforcement last week.
We asked about the detainments, the prevalence and the scope of the enforcement. We also wanted to know if ICE is using the public court calendar to identify defendants.
Action News never heard back from ICE, but Republicans, like Congressman Tom McClintock in the North Valley, have long said immigration laws must be enforced.
“Let’s be very clear that illegally crossing the border is a federal crime. That’s why we call it illegal immigration,” Rep. McClintock told Action News in February. “So everyone who’s done that is a criminal.”
The apparent enforcement at the courthouse is now causing fear and confusion.
“I’ve had plenty of clients who say, ‘Well, I’m not showing up to my hearing.’ and then I have to advise them that you have to show up, or else it might actually be worse if you don’t,” Rios said.
