The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday that its deputies do not conduct immigration enforcement, issuing a public safety statement amid recent federal immigration operations in the Central Valley.

In the statement, the sheriff’s office said it is not notified of independent operations conducted by the Department of Homeland Security or Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

According to the sheriff’s office, federal immigration agents can conduct investigations within local jurisdictions without obtaining permission from local law enforcement or disclosing details of their operations.

The department also said its deputies do not receive requests to assist with federal immigration operations.

The statement comes after incidents in which members of the public allegedly harassed deputies after mistaking them for ICE agents.

The sheriff’s office explained that deputies sometimes conduct criminal investigations in unmarked vehicles and plainclothes. During those operations, deputies wear tactical vests displaying official sheriff’s patches or identifiers for their assigned units, and a marked patrol vehicle is also present.

“To be clear, they are not conducting immigration-related investigations, as that is not part of their job descriptions,” the sheriff’s office said.

The department emphasized that members of the public have the right to observe law enforcement activity but warned against interfering with officers performing their duties.

“While it is lawful to observe officers involved in enforcement activity, disrupting or obstructing any peace officer from carrying out their official duties will not be tolerated,” the statement said.

The sheriff’s office warned that interference could create dangerous situations for officers and the public and would likely result in arrest.

The department urged residents to cooperate to help protect deputies and the community.

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