State Sen. José Menéndez is urging Gov. Greg Abbott to remove Texas from federal immigration crackdowns, claiming that current ICE tactics violate constitutional rights and endanger residents. The San Antonio Democrat frames his call as both a public safety concern and a defense of constitutional norms, arguing that state officials should not assist in federal operations that he says deviate from standard law enforcement practices.
Menéndez's Letter To Abbott
In a formal letter to Abbott, Menéndez wrote that he has “grave concerns regarding the operations conducted by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement” and pressed the governor to cease ICE activity in Texas “until a thorough review of the agency’s actions are conducted by the United States Congress.” He warned that continued cooperation with ICE could have deadly consequences, writing, “We must first cease ICE operations before another death or unlawful detainment occurs,” according to News 4 San Antonio.
What He Pointed To
To make his case, Menéndez noted a string of flashpoint incidents tied to immigration enforcement. He cited arrests of immigrants immediately after they appeared for legally scheduled immigration hearings, renewed family detentions, and allegations that children in family facilities were denied “clean water, adequate food, and basic medical care.”
He also pointed to a series of recent deaths in ICE custody in Texas, including a January death at a Fort Bliss facility that an El Paso autopsy has classified as a homicide. Those fatalities are part of a broader national pattern of detainee deaths documented by Reuters.
Minneapolis Crackdown And The Dilley Child
Menéndez also reached beyond Texas, invoking a recent fatal shooting in Minneapolis by federal agents during a wider enforcement surge that has drawn legal challenges and sparked protests across the country.
His letter referenced the widely covered case of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, who was detained after an ICE operation and reportedly moved to a South Texas family facility, a case that has drawn national condemnation. Those events and the public backlash have been detailed by The Guardian.
What Abbott Can (And Can't) Do
Abbott cannot directly order federal agents to stop ICE operations in Texas. Federal immigration enforcement is Washington’s show, whether Austin likes the script or not.
What the governor can control is how much Texas state muscle backs those efforts. In recent years, the state has directed Department of Public Safety troopers and other resources to assist federal immigration work, as explored by Texas Tribune. Menéndez is effectively urging Abbott to pull that support until Congress finishes a full review of ICE actions.
What Comes Next
Menéndez’s demand adds a prominent Texas voice to the growing national scrutiny of ICE after a wave of detention deaths and aggressive interior enforcement tactics. Whether Abbott scales back state cooperation or doubles down on partnering with federal authorities will help determine the next move, potentially shifting the fight to the courts, Capitol Hill, or both in the weeks ahead, News 4 San Antonio noted.
