The actions come as President Donald Trump and his administration have begun cracking down on illegal immigration and laying the groundwork for rapid deportations.
AUSTIN, Texas — Officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted enforcement operations in the Austin area on Sunday.
ICE confirmed on Sunday evening that enforcement actions had been taken, providing the following statement to KVUE:
“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, along with federal partners including the DEA and ATF began conducting enhanced targeted operations today in Austin to enforce U.S. immigration law and preserve public safety and national security by keeping potentially dangerous criminal aliens out of our communities.”
According to a spokesperson with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Houston Division, the DEA and other federal law enforcement agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), also assisted in what the spokesperson referred to as “targeted enforcement actions.” The spokesperson said ICE requested its assistance in conducting the operations.
The actions come as President Donald Trump and his administration have begun cracking down on illegal immigration and laying the groundwork for rapid deportations. As part of the immigration crackdown, Trump, in one of his first official actions since taking office, revoked a directive barring arrests in “sensitive” areas such as churches and schools.
This is the first confirmed action taken in the Austin area since Trump took office on Jan. 20. The DEA assisted ICE with operations in Austin, McAllen, San Antonio and the Houston area.
The state of Texas is home to roughly 1.6 million undocumented people.