FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 16, 2026
Contact: Karina Martinez | [email protected]
Central Valley Leaders Condemn ICE Operations as Heightened Safety Concerns Impact California Families, Voter Outreach, and Democratic Participation Ahead of the November Midterm Elections.
ICE Operations advance an assault on Latino and immigrant neighborhoods during a critical time for civic engagement.
Central Valley, California – As Californians prepare to cast their ballots, reports of a 45-day surge in ICE activities dubbed “Operation California,” focused on increasing arrests and detentions coinciding with the current election period, have raised alarms, creating heightened safety concerns and spreading uncertainty throughout the community.
These concerns extend to voter outreach, where uncertainty about immigration enforcement can make residents hesitant to engage with canvassers, attend community events, or seek voting information. In response, civic engagement organizations are joining forces to address these barriers, prioritize community safety, and ensure that every eligible voter can exercise their right to vote with confidence
Leaders from across the San Joaquin Valley issued the following statements:
Hatzune Aguilar, Executive Director for CNC Education Fund, shared, “Our Latino and immigrant families and neighbors are not alone. Their safety and their right to participate in our democracy remain our priorities. Recent detentions have heightened fears across the Central Valley, where families worry that someone they love or care about could be affected, regardless of immigration status.
“While this administration has repeatedly created barriers to civic participation, this moment presents a distinct challenge to the physical and emotional safety of our families. Yet, we are heartened by what our teams are hearing directly from voters across the Central Valley: families are expressing an even stronger commitment to making their voices heard at the ballot box. Voting is one way to participate in democracy, but civic engagement also includes sharing election information, joining community conversations, and keeping neighbors informed.
“We are stronger together, and CNC will continue standing alongside families, community leaders, and organizations across the Central Valley to protect both safety and civic participation.”
Naindeep Singh, executive director of the Jakara Movement, added, “Voting should never cost a family its safety. Sikh and Latino families know what aggressive immigration enforcement, racial profiling, and attacks on our livelihoods look like. When our truck drivers were targeted, we didn’t back down. We organized, we stood together, and we fought back in court.
“Now ICE is stepping up its presence in our neighborhoods, and the message is clear: stay home, stay quiet, stay invisible. We refuse. Fear is a tactic, and it only works when people face it alone. So no one in our community will face it alone. We’re linking arms with our partners so every family stays connected to the people and organizations they trust. We’ll knock on every door, drive every voter, and show up in numbers too big to ignore.”
“They’re counting on our silence. On Election Day, the whole Valley will hear us. ”
“Every eligible Californian deserves to participate in our elections without fear,” echoed Nancy Xiong of Hmong Innovating Politics. “We are responding to reports of ICE by strengthening voter protection efforts, providing additional training to our teams, and increasing our presence at polling locations. We want our families and communities to know that no amount of intimidation changes their right to vote. We call on our partners and community members to remain vigilant and report any incidents at bit.ly/cantstopcarereport. It will take all of us to keep everyone safe.”
Susana De Anda, Co-Founder and Executive Director from Community Water Center said: “We are not changing our mission. We are strengthening our outreach while keeping the safety of our communities at the forefront. This election matters to all of us, and no amount of fear or intimidation will take away our right to vote or our freedom to make our own choices at the ballot box. We are stepping up to support the neighborhoods bearing the greatest impact, ensuring our voices are heard and our participation in the electoral process grows stronger. Our work will not end on Election Day. We will carry that same determination forward, holding elected officials accountable to the families and communities they serve. To everyone standing alongside us and defending our right to vote, thank you. We will not be intimidated, we will not be silenced, and we will not be stopped.”
Pastor Curtis Smith, Executive Director, Faith in the Valley: We have a moral obligation to protect our brothers and sisters, stand together in the face of injustice, and defend our freedom to exercise our rights and make our own choices. Scripture warns us, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20). That warning speaks to the danger of harmful actions being presented as righteous ones. When ICE enforcement relies on the cruelty of family separation, we must question any attempt to disguise those harms as public safety. The same moral responsibility calls us to examine the choices before us at the ballot box. Our families deserve freedom from fear and deception, protection of our constitutional rights, and policies that allow our communities to live with dignity and thrive.”
Together, these civic engagement organizations urge Californians to stay informed, connect with their neighbors, stand alongside community allies, and remain engaged in finding solutions. They encourage every eligible voter to take advantage of available voting resources: check their voter registration, locate their polling place, vote early by mail as soon as possible (at least two weeks before Election Day) or return their ballot to an official drop box as early as possible, and track their ballot to confirm it was counted. They also encourage residents to check in with friends, family, and neighbors to make sure they have the information and assistance they need to participate.
Find more voter information at vote.ca.gov.
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Communities for a New California Education Fund works to build healthier, stronger, and more civically engaged communities by providing education, leadership development, and opportunities for residents to participate in decisions that affect their families and neighborhoods.