BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — It’s called “Operation Safe California” and it’s putting Central Valley residents on high alert.
“This is the beginning. I believe things are going to escalate from this moment on as we move through the next 45 days,” said Immigration Attorney Ana Huerta.
Huerta says the enforcement activity around Fresno mirrors what Kern County saw in 2025.
Reports began October 6, when the Rapid Response Network of Kern said it confirmed sightings across the Central Valley and Central Coast.
Two days later, the group reported about 61 people had been detained near Fresno, including people heading to work and at construction sites, shopping centers and gas stations.
The activity comes amid ICE’s “Operation Safe California,” which the Washington Examiner reports began near the San Diego border and is expected to last 45 days.
ICE would not confirm the operation, citing operational security. Asking for a statement, a spokesperson responded, “For operational security and the safety of our officers, ICE will not disclose or discuss law enforcement operations. Every day, DHS enforces the laws of the nation across the country including in California.”
Congressman David Valadao says DHS told him enforcement is focused on people with active warrants and known criminal histories.
But Huerta says the reality on the ground appears different.
“We know that that’s certainly not true. We know people are being targeted on their way too work, they may have never had interaction with immigration enforcement, they may have never had any interaction with criminal legal enforcement,” said Huerta.
The increase in raids has caused controversy across the state. The Nisei Farmers League, hosting a press conference to raise awareness.
“Watching children get pulled from their parents is unacceptable. How can we stand here and watch it happen?”
Senator Alex Padilla also weighed in after an unannounced visit to an ICE holding facility in Los Angeles, where he says he learned immigration proceedings were taking place out of public view.
Padilla criticized the administration’s enforcement efforts, saying, “The Trump Administration is ramping up its indiscriminate immigration enforcement across California, and we know what that means: arrest first, questions later — even for people with legal status and, in some cases, U.S. citizens.”
Here at home, Delano Mayor Salvador Solorio Ruiz is sharing his support and reminding people of their rights.
“I stand firmly with my undocumented community recognizing their invaluable contributions and advocating for their rights and dignity,” said Ruiz.
While no one knows for sure if, when, or where ICE agents could appear in Kern County, concerns over increased immigration enforcement are already being felt in our community.
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