The immigrant advocacy group Faith in the Valley said on Sunday it received a report that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained a man near McNamara Park and a nearby church in Merced.
A surge in immigration enforcement across the San Joaquin Valley this past week has left residents concerned, with reports of arrests in Fresno, Madera and Chowchilla. Agents appeared to travel north as the week went on, with Faith in the Valley’s Watch Network confirming the detainment in Merced on Sunday and warnings of potential ICE activity in Dos Palos.
According to the organization, agents detained the man in Merced between 11 a.m. and noon. Faith in the Valley is still working to determine whether the man was leaving a nearby church or was simply in the area when he was reportedly detained.
The man’s identity remains unknown, and no family members have come forward to identify him. The organization said he may have been taken to an ICE office in Fresno before being transferred to a detention facility, but his whereabouts have not been confirmed.
Rev. Miguel Mancia, a priest at the nearby Sacred Heart Church, said he was unaware of anyone being detained after Sunday’s service. He said he heard reports of immigration enforcement in the neighborhood but could not confirm whether agents detained a congregant.
According to The Fresno Bee, local officials and immigrant advocacy groups say more than 70 people have been arrested in the Fresno area this past week. Advocates allege that federal agents have used racial profiling tactics and targeted locations frequented by immigrant workers, including agricultural fields, gas stations and other work sites.
The activity comes after reports of a 45-day statewide immigration enforcement operation under the Trump administration, reportedly called “Operation Safe California.” Federal officials have not publicly confirmed the reported operation’s scope or duration.
Reported Merced arrest ripples through community
The reports have already affected activities at McNamara Park, where Isaac Ramirez, who helps organize local soccer games, said families and players have been staying away after a video of the reported ICE activity circulated on social media.
Ramirez said the park is typically filled with families gathering before Sunday soccer games, but it was unusually quiet this Sunday. Two teams had already forfeited their games, he said, while other matches were rescheduled.
“A lot of people are just too scared to show up, and you can’t blame them,” Ramirez said.
Families normally arrive more than an hour before games to spend time together, he said, but the park was unusually quiet Sunday.
Even Before Sunday’s arrests, fewer vendors were selling their goods at swap meets in Merced on Saturday.
Jesse Ornelas, a former Merced City Council member who is a vocal advocate, said he began receiving messages about immigration enforcement in the area earlier in the week. Although he was not surprised by the reports, he said the possibility of arrests in Merced was upsetting, particularly because of the city’s large immigrant population.
About 25% of Merced County’s population was born outside the U.S., according to 2024 estimates by the American Community Survey, U.S. Census Bureau Data shows.
Ornelas encouraged residents to support immigrant families and connect with local organizations, including Faith in the Valley and the Valley Watch Network, for assistance.
Madera County arrests and protests
In Chowchilla, Angel A., recorded federal immigration officers detaining a man near Dollar General on Thursday morning. Angel said he witnessed officers pull the man from a vehicle and take him into custody.
“It was just a sad, sad situation this morning,” Angel said.
In Madera, a community member who has been following ICE around, Maira Gonzalez, said she witnessed immigration officers detain a man outside Home Depot earlier in the week.
Gonzalez said she began livestreaming enforcement activity and later saw officers using the Madera District Fair parking lot to transfer detainees into vans.
Gonzalez said a fairgrounds representative later asked the officers to leave.
As videos and reports circulated on social media, residents began organizing to document enforcement activity and alert their neighbors.
But Gonzalez cautioned that not every reported sighting has been accurate. She said she has responded to several locations after receiving reports of immigration officers, only to find no officers present.
The reported activity has also affected daily life in Chowchilla, where some residents have become afraid to leave their homes.
“It was dead in Chowchilla today, and it’s sad to see,” Angel said.
By Thursday evening, more than 30 young people and community members gathered in Veterans Memorial Park along Robertson Boulevard, the main thoroughfare through town, to protest immigration enforcement.
Danny M., 18, said he organized the protest with friends and former classmates through social media after seeing a video of immigration officers detaining two people near Dollar General.
The video showing a man being detained by immigration officers near Dollar General upset him and motivated him to organize the demonstration. He said the issue is also personal because his family has been affected by immigration enforcement.
“I want to speak for others who can’t,” Danny said.
The group had also protested the previous day. Danny said he has been trying to document immigration enforcement activity in the area but often arrives after officers have left.
The Merced FOCUS is continuing to verify arrests and the extent of immigration enforcement operations and the impact on families throughout the San Joaquin Valley.
For resources and information on immigrant and protester rights, read this guide for staying safe amid protests and ICE operations.