Local Politics · Fresno, CA
Fresno City Council candidate and school board trustee Naindeep Singh was arrested over the weekend during a traffic stop for expired registration tags, then exonerated by Tuesday afternoon after negative test results. Police Chief Mindy Casto issued a personal apology while describing the stop as legitimate with no political motivation. Multiple parties, including attorney Kevin Little, the Bains Law Offices, Councilmember Miguel Arias, and Fresno Building Healthy Communities CEO Sandra Celedon, have called for independent investigations into potential political bias, racial profiling, and City Attorney Andrew Janz's role in releasing arrest information. The city refused to release body camera footage Wednesday, citing an ongoing investigation. Critics point to RIPA data showing disproportionate traffic stops involving people of color in Fresno.
Local Politics
Election officials in Butte, Fresno, San Benito, and Orange counties received federal letters last week demanding they segregate ballots from lists of individuals identified as likely noncitizens, with threats of criminal charges for noncompliance. Local registrars reported the lists were poorly formatted, contained partial or missing identifying information, and included names not on active voter rolls; Butte County found 32 of 47 listed individuals were not registered voters. State officials refused to comply, arguing the federal government risks disenfranchising eligible voters. A federal judge in Los Angeles appeared skeptical of the administration's legal arguments during a Tuesday hearing.
Local Politics · Fresno, CA
At a Thursday afternoon news conference, Fresno Councilmember Miguel Arias called for an independent investigation into the Oct. 24 arrest and subsequent exoneration of council candidate Naindeep Singh, citing concerns about election integrity and possible involvement by city officials, contractors, law enforcement union personnel, and political campaigns. Arias specifically questioned the City Attorney's Office contract with political consultant Alex Tavlian, who is linked to multiple PACs spending on mailers attacking Fresno City Council candidates. City Attorney Andrew Janz, whose office confirmed Singh's arrest over the weekend to an independent blogger, responded by threatening a counter-investigation into Arias for alleged interference in public records disclosure and potential Brown Act violations. The city attorney's office does not handle DUI cases but has oversight roles in local elections including Singh's race.
Public Safety · Fresno, CA
The Fresno Office of Independent Review released its first 2026 report this week after more than a year without quarterly reviews of police misconduct and officer-involved shootings. The report cleared an officer in the Jan. 1 fatal shooting of a pit bull that had attacked a woman and her smaller dog, finding deadly force within policy. Across cases culminating this year, six officers were terminated, 52 were suspended for a total of 3,020 hours, 13 received letters of reprimand, 33 were required to attend training, and two resigned. The report also details sustained findings including an officer accused of abusing Flock Safety camera data, a dispatcher involved in domestic violence, and multiple instances of officers giving false statements to supervisors. Former FBI agent John Gliatta, who retired as auditor in August 2025, was rehired temporarily on Aug. 24 after the city failed to find a replacement.
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Public Safety · Fresno, CA
Elected officials and immigrant-rights advocates say ICE has been releasing people detained outside California at processing centers in downtown Fresno and Bakersfield, leaving some stranded hundreds of miles from home late at night with uncharged phones. U.S. Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, and Fresno County Supervisor Luis Chavez joined Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara, and Valley Watch Network program manager Nora Zaragoza-Yáñez at a Monday news conference to condemn the practice. Congressional representatives sent a letter to acting ICE Director David Venturella demanding answers by Oct. 30 about an apparent arrest surge in Central California that began Oct. 5. The Department of Homeland Security denied allegations of racial profiling but declined to provide operational details, citing security. Valley Watch Network has assisted immigrants from 29 states in returning home after releases at the Bakersfield office.
Education · Fresno, CA
At a Wednesday night meeting, Fresno Unified Superintendent Misty Her presented Smarter Balanced Assessment results showing four consecutive years of growth, with English proficiency reaching a district record of 39.92% and math at 29.46%. Despite the gains, more than half of the district's over 70,000 students still did not meet state standards in either subject. Her highlighted kindergarten literacy mastery at 70.4%, exceeding the district goal of 65.2%, while acknowledging that progress is slower than promised. The district also faces a chronic absenteeism rate near 26%—ten points above the state average—and a suspension rate double the statewide figure.
Community News · Fresno, CA
Luis Arreguin, 54, who had lived near Fresno since age 5, was detained by federal immigration agents on October 1 while heading to work and deported to Mexico within 15 days. He was among approximately 130 individuals detained during the initial days of a federal enforcement operation in the San Joaquin Valley known as Operation California Safe. Arreguin's wife and four children, including two minors aged 6 and 10, are being forced to leave their home because he was the family's primary earner. A public records search showed no recent criminal history for Arreguin, who says he had no contact with law enforcement prior to his arrest. ICE did not respond to questions about his case or the conditions on his deportation flight.
