Fresno Airport Expansion Exemplifies Growing Region

Here are the morning’s top stories on Thursday, December 18, 2025…

• Fresno Yosemite International Airport may be considered small, but more than 2 million travelers passed through it last year. And the city of Fresno is moving to expand the airport and accommodate a growing customer base for a growing region. In 2023, the airport broke ground on a new terminal. And that terminal opened just in time for Christmas and New Year travel. 
• Officials in the Bay Area city of Dublin voted unanimously this week to oppose using a closed federal women’s prison as an immigration detention facility, or for any type of incarceration. 

In Fresno, A Growing Airport Signals A Growing Region

Fresno Yosemite International Airport may be small compared to other larger hubs, but in recent years it has been busier than ever.

Over 2 million travelers passed through the airport last year alone – a testament to both the growing region and its expanding customer base. To meet the demand, the City of Fresno began major renovations and expansion projects at the airport in 2023. A new air terminal opened Wednesday just in time for the busy holiday season.

The city and county of Fresno have also recently embarked on new projects that seek to transform the region’s future and signal the region’s shifting economy. A regional rail system is being explored at the county level to connect rural communities. That’s in addition to construction for the state’s high-speed rail that will cut through the city and include a major station. At the airport, flyers will soon see a refreshed terminal with wider TSA lines and a floor-to-ceiling mural anchoring the space. City leaders have also unveiled a new airport mascot, a blue bird wearing an aviator hat.

But while construction has steadily moved forward, the expansion faced uncertainty earlier this year when federal funding for Fresno was put at risk. Mayor Jerry Dyer said the city was notified that hundreds of millions of dollars in federal grants could be pulled. The funding was not only for the airport improvements, but also for other major projects such as housing, transportation, capital improvement projects, and environmental safety. A total of $642 million were at risk, Dyer said. According to city officials, the funding threats were tied to language related to diversity, equity, and inclusion included in grant applications. City leaders viewed the move as federal overreach.

In August, Fresno led a lawsuit against the federal government seeking to restore the funding. Several other California cities – Eureka, Sacramento, and South Lake Tahoe – joined the case. The following month, a judge ruled in favor of the cities and allowed the funding to continue. The federal government has since appealed that decision, but Fresno moved forward with its airport expansion project as planned.

Dublin Council Takes Stand Against Turning Closed Prison Into ICE Detention

The Dublin City Council unanimously voted Tuesday night to oppose repurposing a shuttered federal women’s prison as an immigration detention facility or for any other type of incarceration.

FCI Dublin closed in scandal last year amid allegations from scores of incarcerated women that they had faced years of sexual assault and mistreatment there. Following news reports that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials had toured the facility in February, community members rallied against a potential pivot to ICE detention.

More than 100 Dublin residents and others attended Tuesday evening’s council meeting, carrying signs that read “ICE out of Dublin,” and “We welcome immigrants here.” Vice Mayor Jean Josey said the message was heard loud and clear. 40% of Dublin residents are foreign-born, and she said she’s concerned they could be subject to racial profiling by immigration agents, as she’s observed in the Trump administration’s aggressive approach to enforcement in other cities.

“We’re seeing fear around the country. We’re seeing impacts on schools and small businesses,” she said. “When there’s a detention facility nearby, it is well documented that there’s increased enforcement that’s not necessarily targeting folks with criminal backgrounds, but folks who may just look as if they might be immigrants.”