The “Disappeared in America” anti-ICE protest on Blackstone and Nees avenues saw a turnout of hundreds of people Saturday afternoon.

Camille Russell, a founding board member with Peace Fresno, condemned the actions of the U.S. government.

“What our government is doing today, both abroad and at home, it’s horrific and it’s not what the people want,” Russell said.

Russell also said that it is up to the people to voice their concerns to government leaders.

“We are gonna be lucky if we can hold this world together, unless we let our leaders, our government leaders, know that we cannot do this,” Russell said.

A protester who goes by the name of Ronnie 2Feather said he attended the protest in solidarity with the Indigenous community.

“We can’t go nowhere else if we get deported, because where are we gonna go?” 2Feather said. “I’m Chukchansi Yokut, I’m from the Valley, and I don’t know anything else; this is where my family [has] come from for centuries.”

Angie Elizondo, another protester, criticized President Donald Trump.

“They should’ve impeached him [Donald Trump] by now, or remove him and convict him,” Elizondo said.

Friday’s protests wrapped up at around 8 p.m. Today, The Collegian will be covering another one.

An anti-ICE protest called “Disappeared in America” will take place on Blackstone and Nees avenues from 3-4:30 p.m. It is sponsored by Peace Fresno.

The social media post advertising the protest is in collaboration with Raza Against War, Central Valley Community Action, Fresno Resistance and the Fresno Womxn’s International League for Peace and Freedom.

Hundreds gathered outside the DHS office in Downtown Fresno on Friday as part of a nationwide day of action calling for the abolition of ICE and an end to what organizers described as escalating federal violence against immigrant communities.

The event was organized by the Party of Socialism and Liberation (PSL), with other groups like MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán) also helping out. 

The protest was one of hundreds held across the country during a coordinated shutdown that organizers said began with a general strike in Minneapolis last week.

Speakers said the movement has expanded rapidly as federal immigration enforcement intensifies operations in cities nationwide. Protesters said that the turnout was what they wanted.

“It’s important to be uncomfortable,” said Italia, a student at Fresno City College and a member of MEChA who did not want to share their last name. “There’s families being torn apart right now, and there’s communities that cannot rest.”

Waleed Tahir from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) says this event would not be possible without the work of protests and strikes in Minneapolis and those participating nationwide.

“This demonstration is but one of hundreds of actions taking place across the country as a part of a nationwide shutdown against ICE terror,” Tahir said. “This is people’s power in motion.”

Protests in Fresno were a direct response to Minneapolis, where ICE officers and federal agents killed Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Protesters described the killings as evidence of unchecked federal power and demanded the immediate withdrawal of ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) from communities.

“So many communities are directly impacted by the violence,” said Jonathan, a speaker for PSL who did not want to disclose their last name. “Children not showing up for school out of fear, whole families and communities being torn apart in a massive money-making scheme for billionaires who profit off the technologies and prison labor utilized by ICE.”

Organizers rejected calls for reform and instead demanded the complete abolition of ICE. They argued that replacing leadership or shifting party control would not stop the violence.

“We don’t want reforms,” Jonathan said. “We don’t want an insanely efficient killing force invading our communities. The only real de-escalation is the immediate withdrawal of ICE and CBP from our communities and an end to mass deportations.”

Tahir said that ICE has taken at least 10 immigrants from Afghanistan under the guise of an immigration appointment. He said CAIR’s legal team visited detainees at a California ICE detention center and found families separated and children fearful of attending school.

Both Italia and Tahir said this is a violation of civil rights.

Tahir said that there must be actions taken against ICE both on the ground level and in the courts.

“When federal officers can repeatedly shoot and kill American citizens on city streets and face no accountability, we are watching our constitutional protections crumble,” Tahir said.

Tahir also referenced the detention of Sami Hamdi, a Palestinian-British journalist detained while traveling through the United States, calling the case a reminder that federal immigration enforcement extends beyond undocumented immigrants.

“No one is really safe,” Tahir said. “ICE can detain international scholars and kill American citizens on American streets.”

CAIR outlined a list of demands, including a congressional vote against ICE funding, local investigations into federal shootings, ICE-free zones in schools, hospitals and cities, and independent investigations by the DHS’s inspector general.

The Fresno protest remained peaceful, with families, children, music and dancing visible throughout the evening. Organizers said the atmosphere was intentional.

“Our foundation is love and security in one another,” Jonathan said. “That’s the difference. Love drives everything the community does.”

As the demonstration concluded, speakers urged students and residents to continue organizing locally and nationally, saying sustained collective action is necessary to confront federal law enforcement.

“A general strike means no work, no school, no shopping,” Jonathan said. “When many actions happen simultaneously, they cannot be ignored.”

Hundreds of protesters have marched from the DHS office downtown to the Fresno Superior Courthouse.

While marching, protesters used cowbells, maracas and drums while chanting in Spanish. Police shut down lanes of M and Fresno streets for the marchers.

Hundreds of people have gathered in front of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) office. Speeches are planned, and once they’re over, the crowd will march to the Fresno County Superior Court.

A protest started at 6 p.m. in front of the Department of Homeland Security office in Downtown Fresno. Earlier today, an Instagram post by Raza Against War, Fresno Resistance and Alfred Luis Aldrete detailed the protest and received over 1,500 likes.

The Collegian will update as the protest proceeds.

According to The Fresno Bee, about 200 students walked out of Sunnyside High School.

The article added that it is unclear exactly how many schools in Fresno experienced walkouts today, as schools like Edison High School did not, though some chose to stay home in solidarity.

Andrew Jones, president of the California Faculty Association Fresno chapter, sent out an email to members this afternoon regarding the general strike.

“If you are cancelling classes for the National Shutdown, I urge you to not put in writing or on social media the reason why if it is for the shutdown,” Jones said. “Do not provide material that groups wanting to destroy higher education can use to their advantage.”

He also said that faculty are not permitted to go on strike for the shutdown or the Teamsters strike.

“As we are state employees, we have to go through the bargaining process with the chancellor’s office, and only if we declare impasse, and fact finding goes in our favor but administration does not move to accept our contract proposals are we able to go on strike,” Jones said.

Hundreds of Fresno High School students gathered in front of the Fresno Unified School District Education Center.

Marie Williams, associate superintendent of school performance, marched with the students from Fresno High to the Education Center to ensure their safety.

“We became aware in the last couple of days that there were some activities, ICE enforcement, immigration activities, that were planned at various of our schools,” Williams said. “Students from Fresno High today planned to walk out. And so as you see, a group of them have walked from Fresno High School to here.”

The school district has provided buses for transportation to take them back to Fresno High as the walkout ends, but many students are staying behind.

Patrick Jensen, chief financial officer of Fresno Unified School District, told The Collegian that administrators were present and monitoring the demonstration to maintain safety. This was all in response to the student body’s planning, as this walkout was completely student-organized.

Correction: This story was adjusted at 7:20 p.m. to correct the spelling of Patrick Jensen’s name.

Chris Sullivan, chair of the Sociology Department, said he does not know of any classes being canceled in relation to the protests today.

“I’m not aware of any faculty in our department who are canceling classes in support of the National Shutdown,” Sullivan said in an email to The Collegian.

Steve Hay, a volunteer for Indivisible, said his concern lies with the protection of the economy, science research and national security.

“USAID [The United States Agency for International Development] is already gone, but they really, they’re attacking all of these, if not cutting them completely up,” Hay said. “Especially science, just shooting ourselves in the foot. It’s crazy what they think they’re doing. It’s crazy.”

Indivisible, a national activist group, is holding a “Bridge Brigade” protest from noon to 2 p.m. off of the Shaw and Highway 41 overpass.

Protester Bob Speechly said this is the third protest in the past few weeks that he has participated in with Indivisible.

“We’re here protesting the ICE and border patrol raids in the interior of the country, specifically Minnesota…” Speechly said. “It’s part of Trump’s retribution project. It has nothing to do with security. It has everything to do with fear and cruelty.”

He said that his daughter-in-law, who is from Korea, has been carrying her passport everywhere with her, because she doesn’t look like her husband or Speechly.

“If we don’t do it, nobody else will, and if we don’t do it, then who knows, they come for the next person down the road,” Speechly said. “First they came for the Jews, and I didn’t say anything. Then they came for the Protestant pastors. I didn’t say anything. Then they came for my priest, and I didn’t say anything. Then they came for me, and it was too late.”

The Fresno State Greens organized a peaceful demonstration to stand in solidarity with the people of Minneapolis, after the deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the city led to the death of two citizens and 3,000 deportations.

An unarmed student-activist said that they are gathering to give students insight into what’s going on across the country. They also said it gives students the opportunity to learn about organizing and building connections.

“Build that community and build out solidarity, and be prepared for when that what’s happening Minneapolis [is here],” they said.

Here is the statement:

Fresno State is aware of reports regarding potential efforts to organize a national strike in connection with recent events.

The Collegian received a tip that the Department of Sociology was canceling meetings and classes.

Andrew Jones, the California Faculty Association Fresno chapter president, commented.

“I do not know of any Sociology faculty who are cancelling classes in support of the National Shutdown happening today,” Jones said in a statement to The Collegian.