Say Their Names
Say the names of some of those that have died in ICE custody this year: Ismael Ayala Uribe, Chao Feng Ge, Isidro Perez, Marie Ange Blaise, Maksym Chemyak, Brayan Rayo-Garzon and Huang Xie.
Xie, who died of an apparent seizure, was the 23rd person to die in ICE custody this year officially reported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, marking 2025 as the deadliest for ICE detainees since 2004.
An American Immigration Council report found that “the rising fatalities this year are likely caused by several factors, including acute overcrowding, abysmal detention conditions, medical neglect, soaring mental distress and even gun violence.”
In addition, at least three people have died in accidents while fleeing ICE raids: Castro Rivera, Roberto Valdes and Jaime Garcia.
Most Have No Criminal Records
ICE Raid and Deportation Tracker is a national database that helps communities stay alert and prepared for ICE raids. It tracks ICE raids, deportations and arrests using real-time reports from trusted sources, including public data, news coverage and community submissions.
To date, this website has documented 162,671 deportations, an average of 239 deportations a day. CBS News reports more than 66,000 total current detentions for immigration violations.
The Trump administration claims to have arrested more than 150,000 people for immigration violations, and the Fresno Bee reports that ICE has arrested an estimated 1,156 individuals in Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced and Tulare counties. Of those arrested and detained, 71.5% have no criminal record in the United States according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC).
It’s Racial Profiling
Across the nation, immigrant communities are under attack, racially profiled and targeted by raids, detention and dehumanizing policies that tear families apart. These tactics are being weaponized as part of a broader authoritarian crackdown that threatens the rights and freedoms of everyone, and the crackdown is deadly.
Although the government doesn’t track how many citizens are held by immigration agents, a recent investigation by ProPublica found more than 170 U.S. citizens were racially profiled and detained at raids and protests this year, and more than 20 citizens have reported being held for more than a day without being able to call their loved ones or a lawyer. In some cases, their families couldn’t find them.
ICE and Border Patrol agents have also arrested about 130 Americans, including a dozen elected officials, for allegedly interfering with or assaulting officers. These cases have often been dropped without any charges.
Many local community members are standing up. On Nov. 1, there was a local action as part of “The Disappeared in America Weekend.”
The organizers of the national action issued a statement that said “this is a nationwide mobilization to defend the shared values of dignity, freedom and justice for all. Together, we’ll shine a light on the human toll of detention and demand an end to corporate and government complicity in this cruelty.”
The People of Fresno Stand Up
Across the nation on the weekend of Nov. 1 there were dozens of “Day of the Disappeared” actions calling for an end to the arrests, deportations and racial profiling. About 75 people attended the local action, being vocal in their support of immigrants and their opposition to the Trump administration.
Leonel Flores, an organizer with the May 1 Coalition for Immigrant Rights, said, “We need to join together to send a strong message to our representatives [that] we need justice for immigrants, for workers, and we need immigration reform that protects farmworkers and all immigrant workers throughout the United States.”
A young woman from Fresno, Kayla Alexander, noted that “it’s important we raise our voices and make it clear that we do not agree with these policies. We don’t agree with the administration. What they are doing is not constitutional, and we have to stand up for those who can’t.”
Jose, a local resident, said, “It’s important to stand for human rights, to save human life. What we do here has repercussions all over the world.”
Adam, an emergency room registered nurse, said, “We need a general strike, shut everything down. We need to point out where this is going. We need to shut everything down. When people start going hungry, they will speak out.”
Cielo Marquez grew up in Fresno and in the surrounding communities. She said, “I am here to stand with the hardworking people I grew up with. My parents were farmworkers, and they always had tired backs, tired hands, hands full of callouses and feet aching, and they did it because it’s honest work and to give me a better life.”
Summing up the sentiment of the day, she added, “Without each other, we are nothing.”
Valley Watch Network encourages community members to use and share the hotline number, 559-206-0151, to report ICE activities or any threatening actions toward immigrants or minorities. The hotline is crucial for timely interventions and is run by dedicated volunteers.
