Fresno leader: ICE is not a danger or threat to our communities | Opinion
I strongly condemn the growing attacks on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and the reckless political rhetoric coming from the radicals and extremists that vilify federal law enforcement for simply doing their jobs as required by the law.
ICE does not pose a danger or threat to our communities. What is a threat is the increased lawlessness and violence that masquerades as protest. Radical individuals are initiating confrontations and violent interactions with ICE agents in order to stoke their base, create chaos and fear in our communities and delegitimize law enforcement. This is evidenced by the 1,300% increase in assaults and 3,200% increase in vehicle attacks against ICE agents, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
We’ve arrived at this dangerous place because, for four years, the prior corrupt administration — through a treasonous border policy — created the circumstances for record or near record unlawful entry attempts at our southern border. The result has been entirely predictable: The House Committee on Homeland Security reported that U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested more than 50,000 noncitizens with criminal convictions or outstanding warrants between 2021 and 2024. In 2023, CBS News reported that the Border Patrol had arrested (a record) 151 migrants with “positive terrorism watch list matches who entered the southern border.”
Law-abiding citizens are paying the price for that treason.
In 2024, Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student, was murdered in Georgia. Jose Antonio Ibarra, a native of Venezuela who entered the country illegally at the U.S. Mexico border near El Paso was convicted on three counts of felony murder.
Jocelyn Nungaray was just 12 years old when she was sexually assaulted and killed. Texas prosecutors are seeking the death penalty of two undocumented individuals; Rachel Morin, a mother of five, was raped and killed by an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador who was sentenced to life in prison without parole; and Dacara Thompson was 19 when she was killed by an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala.
Where were the protests from Democrats after these heinous acts?
The victims in these cases are just some of the Americans killed by criminal illegal aliens that ICE is attempting to remove from our cities.
The people of our great nation have grown sick of witnessing this evil and destruction and demanded that our borders be closed and that the rule of law to be implemented and followed. That is why President Donald Trump was elected. He is now doing the difficult but necessary work of restoring law and order by removing dangerous criminals illegally in our country and reestablishing the rule of law.
That effort, however, has been met with open resistance from radical Democrat politicians like Gov. Gavin Newsom, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. Meanwhile, sanctuary policies have turned cities into magnets for crime, fraud and chaos.
ICE agents attempting to carry out lawful enforcement actions are being harassed, obstructed, and endangered — acts fueled by years of political demonization and being called “the Gestapo.”
The rule of law matters. Federal agents are not the enemy, they are professionals tasked with protecting our communities. The left’s radical ideology built on hostility toward law enforcement and contempt for our sovereign borders is putting lives at risk and creating mayhem in Democrat-run cities.
That is exactly what the radical left wants: They hate our country and want to tear down our institutions and delegitimize law enforcement.
This lawlessness must stop. With unwavering voices and strong conviction, we cannot allow political extremism to justify lawlessness or violence. We need local elected leaders throughout the nation to speak out and defend all law enforcement officers. All of us who love this country, cherish our values, our freedoms and the Constitution and support the rule of law must speak out and stand with ICE as they attempt to do its lawful jobs and rid our communities of illegal immigrants.
If you are silent, you are complicit.
I can assure Fresno residents that our county will always support lawful enforcement and respect the men and women who serve our community with courage and integrity, keeping our neighborhoods and families safe. We are grateful to them and grateful to the brave and courageous ICE officers throughout the nation.
Garry Bredefeld is chairman of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors.
This story was originally published February 6, 2026 at 5:00 AM.