ICE Activity Near Austin, TX (Jan 10 – Feb 10, 2026)

Austin / Travis County

January 5 — Deportation After 911 Call

Austin Police responded to a disturbance call on Blue Stem Trail. The woman who called, Karen Gutiérrez-Castellanos, a Honduran national, was found to have an ICE administrative warrant in the database. APD notified ICE, which took custody of Gutiérrez-Castellanos and her 5-year-old daughter — a U.S. citizen. Both were deported to Honduras within days, without an opportunity to speak with an attorney or appear before a judge. The incident became a catalyst for major policy changes at APD and citywide outrage.^[1]^[2]^[3]

January 12–13 — ICE Chase on SH 130 and Confusion at Travis County Sheriff’s Office

Federal and state officers pursuing suspects on SH 130 south of Austin called for assistance from the Travis County Sheriff’s Office. Due to confusion about the nature of the request and communications involving Pflugerville PD, a TCSO supervisor initially declined to assist. The chase ended on Pearce Lane near the Sun Chase subdivision, northeast of Circuit of the Americas. A separate, uninvolved motorist was involved in a crash. Sheriff Sally Hernandez issued a statement saying TCSO’s policy is not to decline assistance to other law enforcement agencies and that “recent events on the national stage” may have affected the response.^[4]

January 13 — Incident Near Hutto (Williamson County)

On the same day, Williamson County deputies responded around 5 a.m. to reports of gunshots fired from a car on Highway 79 near Hutto. Four occupants, identified as undocumented migrants, were taken into custody. One was jailed on charges related to the shooting, and the other three were turned over to ICE.^[4]

January 14 — APD Announces Policy Change on ICE Cooperation

APD Chief Lisa Davis announced the department would update its “general orders” to explicitly allow officers to cooperate more fully with federal immigration officers in executing immigration warrants. Under the new policy, officers who decide to report someone to ICE must first notify a duty commander. Davis stated, “Senate Bill 4 does not allow us to tell officers they cannot call ICE on these things.” Multiple Austin City Council members said they do not anticipate this leading to more cooperation in practice.^[5]^[1]

January 18 — ICE Activity on SH 195, Williamson County

ICE activity was spotted along State Highway 195 in Williamson County, north of Austin. A KXAN reporter described witnessing a traffic stop in which a person was handcuffed and placed in the back of an unmarked vehicle by federal agents.^[6]

January 23–24 — City of Austin Addresses ICE Rumors

During a winter weather event, rumors circulated online that ICE agents were staging in Austin hotels in preparation for large-scale operations targeting warming centers. The City of Austin released a statement saying it had contacted regional ICE representatives and been assured that ICE “does not have operations focused on Warming Center or Cold Weather Sheltering facilities” and that any current operations were routine.^[7]

January 28 — Travis County DA Joins Prosecutor Coalition

Travis County District Attorney José Garza joined a coalition of prosecutors promising to hold ICE agents accountable for misconduct. Garza stated, “We expect all our law enforcement partners operating in Travis County to function within the confines of Texas law.”^[8]

February 3 — ICE Chase and Arrest in Central Austin (North Loop)

Neighbors in Austin’s North Loop neighborhood witnessed a car crash into a front yard after its driver tried to escape ICE agents. Video posted to social media showed at least three armed men with covered faces pinning down a man on the ground. APD confirmed that “federal ICE agents had initiated a short vehicle pursuit.” Residents described “inappropriately fast driving” through a pedestrian-heavy neighborhood. None of the vehicles involved were marked as law enforcement.^[9]

February 5 — Contentious Community Meeting on APD–ICE Cooperation

A packed public meeting — over-filling a 200-person capacity space — addressed proposed APD policy changes regarding interactions with ICE. Audience members heckled Austin officials, calling them “cowards” and demanding the city outright resist federal enforcement. Mayor Pro Tem Chito Vela, a career immigration attorney, argued that such resistance would be impractical in Texas under SB 4. During the meeting, the case of Karen Gutiérrez-Castellanos and her child was raised repeatedly, along with revelations that APD officers had contacted ICE dozens of times in 2025 after encountering people with administrative warrants.^[10]

Hays County (Kyle, Buda, San Marcos)

January 15 — ICE Operations in Kyle and Buda

Federal immigration enforcement operations were confirmed in Kyle and Buda. ICE attempted to park a transport bus at Buda City Hall as a staging point; the city asked them to relocate. In Kyle, one person was injured during detainment outside a Costco — injuries were severe enough to require EMS transport to a hospital. Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra stated local officials received no advance notice. The Kyle Police Department, Buda Police, and Hays County Sheriff’s Office all confirmed they were not involved in the operations.^[11]^[12]

Late January — San Marcos Community Protests

San Marcos residents participated in national strikes and protests against ICE. The University Star reported that eight people had been killed by federal agents or died in ICE custody in 2026 at that point, galvanizing community action.^[13]

Elgin

January 7 — Day Laborers Detained from Town Square

Video posted on social media showed day laborers being taken away by masked officials from Elgin’s town square. Multiple people were detained by ICE along U.S. Highway 290 running through town. The incident divided the community of ~13,000 people, where 44% of the population is Hispanic or Latino. Undocumented residents reported severely limiting time outside their homes. Elgin Mayor Theresa McShan issued a statement condemning ICE’s “dehumanizing activities,” and over 100 people attended a community-organized protest. Community members organized grocery delivery and errand-running for those too afraid to leave home.^[14]

San Antonio

January 12 — ICE Sightings Reported on Social Media

Facebook users began posting warnings of ICE agent sightings in San Antonio, including near the 410 and Blanco area and near Lovelace and Nacogdoches. A popular Facebook group, “210 La Chismosa,” became a hub for community ICE alerts. The group’s owner said the purpose was to “prevent panic, misinformation, and unnecessary harm in communities that are already under a lot of stress.”^[15]

February 5 — Viral Home Entry Incident

ICE officers conducting a targeted operation pursued Gonzalo Mejia Ortega, 34, into a San Antonio home after he fled a traffic stop. A video of armed agents searching the home went viral, viewed nearly 3 million times on Facebook. DHS stated Ortega had three prior arrests for domestic assault and a warrant for his arrest. Ortega escaped through a window and remains at large. Congressman Joaquin Castro described the incident as a “home invasion.” A subsequent investigation by News 4 San Antonio found no arrest records for Ortega in the city’s police database, only two reports with no charges filed.^[16]^[17]^[18]

Waco / McLennan County

December 2025 – January 2026 — 287(g) Agreement Signed

The McLennan County Sheriff’s Office signed a memorandum of agreement with ICE under the federal 287(g) “task force model,” which gives officers powers to interrogate and arrest suspected undocumented immigrants during routine interactions. The Heart of Texas Network for Immigrant Rights criticized the agreement as one that “blurs the line between community policing and federal immigration enforcement.” This was required under Texas Senate Bill 8, effective January 1, 2026.^[19]

Pflugerville

February 2 — Student Walkouts

Students at schools in the Pflugerville area staged walkouts to protest ICE enforcement, part of a national movement following the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis. Students gathered outside the Pflugerville Justice Center.^[20]

Wrongful Deportation of Austin Resident

Reported January 14–15 — Any López Belloza Case

Any López Belloza, a 19-year-old Austin-raised college student at Babson College near Boston, was detained in November 2025 at Logan Airport while flying home to Austin for Thanksgiving. Despite a federal judge’s emergency order blocking deportation, ICE flew her to Texas and deported her to Honduras. The Trump administration admitted the deportation was a “mistake” and apologized. Her attorney filed motions to bring her back to the U.S. Congressman Greg Casar led a congressional effort to facilitate her return.^[21]^[22]

Major Protests and Community Responses

January 29 — Student Walkouts Across Texas

Hundreds of students in Austin, Waco, San Antonio, and other Texas cities walked out of classes to protest ICE killings. In Austin, students marched toward the Capitol. Governor Abbott condemned the walkouts and directed the Texas Education Agency to investigate. Two people were detained by DPS officers at the Capitol during the protest.^[23]

February 1 — 5,000-Person Rally in East Austin

Texas Democrats led approximately 5,000 people in a rally at Pan American Neighborhood Park in East Austin. Speakers included Congressman Joaquin Castro and Congressman Greg Casar. A woman named Evelyn shared that her husband Francisco was taken by ICE in December while getting gas on his way to work and remains detained in South Texas. The rally came after the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal officers in Minneapolis.^[24]

February 7 — Protest at Texas Capitol

The Austin Immigrant Rights Action Committee organized a protest at the south entrance of the Texas Capitol as part of a national day of action against ICE. The protest followed school walkouts earlier that week and a vigil for affected families was scheduled the following day.^[25]

Broader Policy and Legal Context

Texas SB 8 — Mandatory ICE Partnerships (Effective January 1, 2026)

Texas Senate Bill 8 requires all counties that operate a jail to formally partner with ICE under the federal 287(g) program. Counties with over 100,000 residents face an immediate deadline. This has compelled even reluctant jurisdictions — including progressive-leaning Travis County (Austin) and Bexar County (San Antonio) — to formalize cooperation agreements.^[26]^[27]

Increased Enforcement Statewide

Daily ICE arrests in Texas jumped from an average of 85 per day during the final 18 months of the Biden administration to 176 per day in the first six months under Trump, according to a Texas Tribune analysis. More than half of ICE arrests in Texas have come from local jails.^[28]

Between late January and mid-October 2025, at least 1,750 ICE detainers were issued to jails in the Austin area, resulting in 645 removals — up from 1,140 detainers and 470 removals in the same period of 2024.^[29]

Federal Prosecution Surge

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas (which includes Austin and San Antonio) filed 209 new immigration-related criminal cases in the week of January 16–22 and 242 cases in the first week of February 2026. The district prosecuted over 12,000 immigration cases in 2025.^[30]^[31]^[32]

Habeas Corpus Filings

Since Trump’s mass deportation push began, more than 1,300 detained immigrants have filed habeas corpus petitions in the Western District of Texas, which stretches from El Paso to Austin and houses numerous ICE detention facilities. January 2026 filings in El Paso alone were on pace to exceed 2,800 for the year.^[33]

ICE Detention Deaths

Four people died in ICE custody in the first 10 days of 2026, including one at Camp East Montana (Fort Bliss) and one at the Joe Corley Processing Center in Texas. In 2025, 31 people died in ICE custody — an all-time high.^[34]

ICE Activity Within a 2-Hour Radius of Austin, TX