Several individuals were taken into custody in North Austin following a joint enforcement endeavor by federal immigration agents, Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers, and Homeland Security Investigations agents. According to a statement by DPS Press Secretary Sheridan Nolen obtained by CBS Austin, this roundup is part of the larger cooperative effort of state and federal agencies, a directive under Gov. Greg Abbott's administration.
On Wednesday, adjacent to north Lamar and Rundberg Lane, the immigration operation saw DPS teams working in conjunction with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). These actions follow President Donald Trump's announcements to intensify the crackdown on undocumented immigrants. DPS described the focus of this operation as combating illegal immigration and targeting what they denote as "criminal illegal immigrants," as reported by KXAN.
There were a number of "several individuals illegally present in the United States" nabbed in the sting, who have been placed into ICE custody for the impending removal proceedings, as per ICE statements. Specifics surrounding the identities or circumstances of these arrests were not accordingly furnished. ICE also noted that unlawful-status individuals in the U.S. may be subject to detention and subsequent removal, suggesting that self-deportation is the safest and most efficient option for those caught in such predicaments.
However, the official actions and the hardline policies they represent have not been met without dissent. After leading multiple anti-ICE protests, a student activist group in Austin vehemently expressed their opposition. On June 16, protesters took to the streets to "denounce ICE's ongoing role in tearing apart families and terrorizing immigrant communities in Austin and beyond," as quoted from a KXAN report. In the wake of these stringent immigration operations and protests, DPS stated it has identified nearly 5,800 individuals with active warrants deemed "criminal illegal immigrants" since April 8, a figure that signifies the extensive reach of the ongoing collaboration between state troopers, special agents, Texas Rangers, and federal entities.
