helloeggrolls ICE has been releasing people detained outside of California at processing centers in downtown Fresno and Bakersfield, leaving some of them stranded hundreds of miles from home without money or their belongings, elected officials and immigrant rights advocates say. The detainees — some from as far away as the East Coast — have sometimes been released in the Central Valley late at night and with their phones uncharged. U.S. Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, said that the practice “just makes no sense.” Fresno County Supervisor Luis Chavez said ICE is knowingly sending immigrants to places where “they have no safety net, no family members.” Their comments came as attorneys also report ICE has recently transferred people detained in the Central Valley to Texas after denying them visits with legal counsel in Kern County. “Those types of tactics are just cruel, and we need to make sure we put a stop to that,” Chavez said. The practice of releasing detained immigrants in cities far from their homes is similar to what Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, both Republicans, authorized in past years, transporting detained immigrants by plane or bus and releasing them in various cities, including Washington D.C., New York, Los Angeles and Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., the vacation home of former President Obama… “Sometimes they’re released with all of their personal belongings,” she said, “and sometimes they’re not.” Zaragoza-Yáñez said the families of released people are often able to purchase their flights back home, but added that the group is raising money to purchase tickets, meals and prepaid phones for those who cannot. #fresno #fresnocalifornia #559 View all 44 comments