On Oct. 1, 2026, reports of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) being in Fresno began, and by Oct. 6 around two dozen people had been arrested and detained according to The Fresno Bee. With the Big Fresno Fair opening their gates on Oct. 7, their opening weekend had an unusually empty turnout. The fair, Fresno’s largest annual event, happened to take place as widespread media coverage of ICE drew community concern and fear. As a result, what is usually the busiest weekend of the fair has had very little attendance. It is no reach to conclude that the ICE activity in Fresno has likely scared people away from attending the fair.
The opening day of the Fresno Fair boomed in attendance, however the very next day the fair was almost empty according to multiple social media reports. How could an event go from packed to dead in just one day? While many argue that in today’s economy the expenses at the fair just aren’t worth it, you also can’t ignore that ICE is very much a leading factor in why people are not attending the fair. Many people gave warnings on social media that ICE would be at the Fresno Fair. AI-generated videos of ICE agents at the fair gained attention in the community as well, and though completely fake, they did generate more concern.
The cautiousness of people is no surprise when ICE has been lurking all over town since the month began, leaving so many in our community to live in fear that they or someone they know might be detained next. A local school counselor in the Fresno Unified School District, who chose to remain anonymous, shared how ICE has affected opportunities for students and their families.
“I have a student who told me he was one of the 4.0 students that was going to be a part of the raffle event at the fair, but on Tuesday his family was seeing videos on social media about ICE presence in Fresno, so he was unable to go to school or the fair on Wednesday. He only came back to school on Friday because his cousin was able to give him a ride,” they said.
Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias warned the immigrant community to avoid attending the Fresno Fair for their safety, mentioning that he would also not be attending in regards to the recent ICE enforcement activity in the Central Valley. However, as of Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, The Big Fresno Fair spokesperson, German Amezuca, released a statement on all of the fair’s social media platforms, addressing misinformation and assuring the safety of attendees, stating that there have been no confirmed ICE sightings at the fair and that staff are working closely with the Fresno PD to ensure a safe environment for all fair guests.
“False information and AI-generated images circulating online are creating unnecessary fear and confusion in our community,” Amezcua stated.
While the statement made by the Big Fresno Fair has lifted some of the concern around attending the fair, there is no way The Big Fresno Fair can promise that their guests will be 100% safe while attending. Their statement disregards the risks of encountering ICE on the way to or leaving the fair. Of course the fair will encourage people to attend after such a drop in attendance and in hand revenue. However, it is much more important for families to ensure their own safety, and not take unnecessary risks, as Arias continues to warn.
“While I recognize the fair’s importance to our local economy, no economic benefit should come at the expense of our immigrant families’ safety,” Arias said.
