ICE detains workers at two Lennar sites in Fresno, Madera County; leaves third after supervisor challenges entry

Federal immigration agents detained workers at two Lennar construction sites in Fresno and Madera County on Thursday of last week, then returned to a third Lennar site the following day, where agents left without arrests after a supervisor challenged their authority to enter without a warrant.

At the Fanucchi Ranch development in west Fresno, agents detained Andres Pacheco as he arrived for work Thursday. Pacheco, who has lived in the United States for 23 years and is the father of three daughters, is being held at the Golden State Annex detention facility in McFarland, according to his wife. “My whole life situation changed, especially for my girls. They are so attached to their daddy,” she said.

At the Riverstone development in Madera County the same day, agents detained a worker’s father while the two were working together. “I see my dad; he drops himself on the floor and I see all three ICE agents come get him,” the son said. The father, who the son said has no criminal record, is also being held in McFarland.

On Friday, agents arrived at the Tesoro Viejo development in Madera County. Construction worker Nick Rodriguez recorded video as a site supervisor confronted agents. “Our homes are private property. You guys have to have a signed warrant to enter our homes,” the supervisor says in the video. Rodriguez said agents had been asking workers for visa paperwork before the superintendent intervened. Federal agents left without detaining anyone.

The interaction has drawn attention online because the supervisor challenged whether agents had the legal authority to enter the construction area without a signed warrant. Whether ICE can enter a construction site depends on whether the area is considered public or private. Immigration agents generally may enter public areas of a workplace without a warrant, but access to nonpublic areas typically requires either consent or a judicial warrant signed by a judge. Administrative immigration warrants generally do not authorize entry into private areas.

Fresno City Councilmember Annalisa Perea, whose District 1 includes the Fanucchi Ranch area where Pacheco was detained, criticized the enforcement actions. “It’s heartbreaking. It’s really heartbreaking to see families in real time being ripped apart,” Perea said.

Madera County Supervisor Jordan Wamhoff, whose district includes the Riverstone development, urged residents not to interfere with federal operations. “As a member of the law enforcement community, the safety of our neighbors and community will always be my number one priority,” Wamhoff said in a statement. “I urge everyone not to jump to judgment from some of the videos circulating on social media. I would also urge residents not to intervene for the safety of others.”

Madera County Supervisor Bobby Macaulay, whose district includes the Tesoro Viejo development, said he was concerned about the impact the enforcement activity has had on residents. “I am sad to see so much fear and anxiety throughout the County,” Macaulay said in a statement. “While I think most would agree violent criminals have no place here, we have to remove them in a way that is transparent and does not distress our communities.”

Lennar did not respond to questions about whether agents were granted access to the three sites, whether they had warrants, whether the detained workers were employed by Lennar or subcontractors, and what requirements the company has for verifying workers are authorized to work in the United States. ICE declined to discuss the enforcement operations, stating that the Department of Homeland Security enforces the nation’s laws every day.

The Breakdown

• ICE agents visited three Lennar construction sites across Thursday and Friday of last week — two in which workers were detained, one in which agents left after a supervisor challenged their entry.
• Andres Pacheco, who has lived in the United States for 23 years and is the father of three daughters, is being held at the Golden State Annex detention facility in McFarland. A worker’s father detained at Riverstone, who the son said has no criminal record, is also being held in McFarland.
• The legal question raised at the third site: immigration agents may enter public areas of a workplace without a warrant, but nonpublic areas typically require either consent or a judicial warrant signed by a judge — administrative immigration warrants generally do not authorize entry into private areas.
• The material does not state whether agents had signed judicial warrants at any of the three sites, whether the sites were considered public or private property, or whether Lennar granted consent for entry.

What This Means for You

Your city councilmember and county supervisor’s public response to enforcement activity in their districts tells you where they stand when residents in their jurisdiction are detained. Councilmember Perea called the detentions “heartbreaking” and criticized families being “ripped apart.” Supervisor Wamhoff urged residents not to interfere and defended the operations as a law-enforcement matter. Supervisor Macaulay expressed concern about fear and anxiety in the county and called for transparency.

What to Watch

The material leaves the central legal question unresolved: did ICE agents have the authority to enter these construction sites, or did they enter private property without the required judicial warrant? The answer depends on three facts the material does not provide: whether agents had signed judicial warrants (not just administrative immigration warrants), whether the construction sites were public or private property under the law, and whether Lennar or the site operators granted consent for agents to enter. The video from Tesoro Viejo suggests agents left when challenged, which raises the question of whether they lacked a warrant or simply chose not to escalate — but the material documents no answer.

The material does not state what immigration violation, if any, agents alleged as the basis for detention, whether the men had prior deportation orders, or what process they now face.

Lennar did not answer whether the detained workers were employed directly by Lennar or by subcontractors, what verification requirements the company has for work authorization, or whether the company granted ICE access to the sites. If Lennar granted consent for agents to enter, that consent would make the question of a warrant irrelevant — but the company has not stated whether it did.

ICE’s refusal to discuss the operations leaves no official record of whether warrants were used, what criteria agents applied to select these sites, or why three Lennar sites were visited over two days. The absence of that record makes it impossible to independently verify whether the enforcement actions followed the legal standards the supervisor at Tesoro Viejo invoked.