Hundreds rally in Fresno to show solidarity after ICE detainments, Minneapolis killings
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Thousands rallied in Fresno to protest ICE following Alex Pretti's killing.
- Protests echoed nationwide after deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.
- Fresno residents reported ICE detentions at appointments and called for accountability.
Hundreds gathered Sunday at River Park Shopping Center in Fresno to protest federal immigration enforcement after the killing in Minneapolis of Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse.
Protesters lined the streets surrounding the shopping center and carried signs that read, “From the Bay to Minneapolis, Stop ICE terror,” and “Justice for Renee Nicole Good,” “ICE Out of Fresno” and “Elect a Clown, Expect a Circus.”
Mayor of Kerman Maria Pacheco was also in attendance at the protest.
“To me, it’s very important to stand in community with my fellow neighbors to come out and make our voices heard,” Pacheco said. “We want to stand in solidarity with Minneapolis because what’s happening there is happening here.”
Jessie Kantor, 31 and one of the protestors on Sunday, moved to Fresno from Minneapolis six years ago. She said it was important to show solidarity with her hometown.
“I have a lot of friends and family who are there right now, and I’m really inspired by the organization that they’ve shown there. They’ve created community, networks, support and care there,” she said carrying an “Abolish ICE” sign. “I think it’s really important to find ways to replicate that here.”
In recent weeks, the Valley Watch Network in Fresno has reported that ICE has detained multiple Fresno residents in what they said could have been targeted incidents.
Pretti’s death comes on the heels of the Jan. 7 killing of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, a mother of three and U.S. citizen, who was shot by an ICE agent during a Minneapolis enforcement action — a death officially ruled a homicide by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The Fresno protest took place as an estimated 50,000 people marched in sub-zero temperatures through Minneapolis to oppose ICE’s deployment in the city, and as hundreds of businesses closed in solidarity with a strike and mass demonstrations calling for accountability and an end to aggressive federal immigration enforcement this weekend.
Demonstrators also referenced recent U.S. military strikes in Venezuela and two people shot by federal agents in Portland, Ore., framing the deaths of Pretti and Good as part of a broader pattern of federal violence.
Niesha Blancas, 35 and a longtime Fresno resident, said she’s attended several protests over the past year, citing what she sees as a worsening climate regarding immigration enforcement in the city.
“It’s gotten really bad. I don’t think people understand that ICE is here, and it’s happening to our neighbors,” she said. “It’s important that we’re out here supporting our neighbors.”
Over the past year, Fresno has been home to a series of immigration-focused protests driven by heightened federal enforcement actions by ICE and related agencies. Hundreds to thousands have taken to the streets in Fresno’s downtown and neighborhoods to oppose deportations, denounce ICE raids in California cities, such as Los Angeles, and to call for protections for undocumented residents. Protesters have often waved Mexican and American flags and chanted anti-enforcement slogans.
Local activists and organizations have also organized rallies outside the Fresno ICE Processing Center downtown and urged businesses to deny ICE entry, reflecting deep anxiety in immigrant communities amid reports of plain clothes federal agents detaining individuals outside courthouses and during routine ICE check-ins in the Central Valley.
Demonstrators also drew attention to broader concerns about democratic representation, accountability, and what they described as insufficient training and oversight of ICE agents.
Immigration lawyers in Fresno have confirmed that some clients have been detained during interviews to adjust their immigration status at the Fresno green card office downtown, raising concerns among advocates that individuals attempting to follow the legal process are being taken into custody during routine appointments.
This story was originally published January 25, 2026 at 7:57 PM.
