Faith in the Valley, a Central Valley-based community organization, issued a community alert this week after reports that residents in several California cities, including Bakersfield, Fresno, and Stockton, were asked to check in at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing centers.
The organization said it issued the alert after receiving credible reports that ICE was calling individuals for weekend check-ins.
Lewis Phuntso Gillham, a volunteer organizer with Faith in the Valley’s Valley Watch Network, said the group confirmed detentions occurred in Stockton and Fresno over the weekend.
“We spread information, not fear,” Gillham said. “We track down everything before we send out a community alert because we don’t act on the basis of rumors.”
The organization said they provide accompaniment for community members attending ICE check-ins or court appearances and help families locate loved ones who may have been detained.
“When someone has to check in with ICE, it is a very emotional moment,” Gillham said. “We show up to remind them they’re not alone. Sometimes just having someone there makes all the difference.”
Gillham said about 25 people were detained in Stockton on Saturday, and one person in Fresno on Sunday. He said his team has not confirmed any detentions in Bakersfield or elsewhere in Kern County but continues to monitor reports closely.
Gillham added that the organization has received calls from Kern County residents who reported seeing law enforcement activity they feared could be ICE, but those calls turned out not to be immigration-related. He said the group encourages residents to reach out if they see anything suspicious so volunteers can verify the situation.
Gillham said he witnessed the Fresno check-in firsthand that happened over the weekend. He said seeing several families arrive early in the morning, some carrying documents and personal belongings in case they were detained. He said community volunteers were on site to support families and monitor the situation, but no law enforcement presence was visible outside the building.
“It’s heartbreaking to see the anxiety people carry when they walk in,” Gillham said. “They don’t know if they’ll walk out again.”
Faith in the Valley’s Valley Watch Network sends out alerts and deploys volunteers when ICE or Border Patrol activity is confirmed.
Gillham said Faith in the Valley plans to launch a campaign encouraging families to create written “family plans,” which include important identification and contact information in case someone is detained.
Faith in the Valley encourages anyone who receives a request to report to ICE or immigration court to contact the Valley Watch Network hotline at (559) 206-0151.
