The Drug Enforcement Administration's Houston division is assisting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with deportations in Harris County, resulting in multiple arrests last Sunday. This is part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement's broader initiative to increase deportation efforts across Texas, particularly in cities like Austin, San Antonio, and Laredo, according to Fox7Austin.
Last Sunday, immigration raids in Austin involved federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and collaboration with the Drug Enforcement Administration from Houston. The raids began around 8 a.m. and continued into the afternoon, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement reporting 956 arrests nationwide, though specific numbers for Central Texas were not disclosed. Later that evening, a protest of several hundred people took place at the Texas State Capitol, with participants expressing concerns that the deportation efforts were affecting innocent individuals. One protester stated, "Some say they're not there to protect criminals, but they are there to protect 7-year-olds who are not criminals and don't belong to gangs," as stated by Click2Houston.
Local non-profits are providing pro bono legal aid to those affected by deportation raids. The Trump administration defends the raids as necessary for national security, while Democrats argue that "Democrats are worried that law-abiding people are being targeted as well. Saying there are people who are not causing problems in our country, and we need a path to citizenship for them," as reported by Fox7Austin. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with a budget of nearly $8 billion and over 20,000 staff, conducts the deportations through its Enforcement and Removal Operations, focusing on individuals seen as a threat to safety or national security, as mentioned by Click2Houston.
