The photo from Houston shows a beige neighborhood of big houses with brick facades, 6-foot privacy fences, and manicured lawns. It’s in indistinct suburbia, sort of like the American dream. Except the man in focus is handcuffed, and he’s flanked by Kevlar-jacketed officers who are escorting him to his deportation.
This arrest, documented on X by the Drug Enforcement Administration, was one of a slew of “targeted enforcement actions” that began across Texas this week. Law enforcement officials confirmed immigration sweeps in Austin to KUT, though they did not answer our questions about the number of people detained.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) also did not answer which detention center or centers they brought Austin arrestees to, but the agency is looking to dramatically expand detention in Texas. Shortly after the election, Texas officially offered the Trump administration a 1,400-acre ranch along the border to build a new detention camp, and this week the state offered even more. “I have 13 million acres across the state,” Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham told NewsNation. “We’ll do whatever it takes. We’re here to be a good partner again, just getting these violent criminals who’ve been hurting our sons and daughters off of our soil.”
Meanwhile, ICE is considering turning existing private prisons in Texas into ICE detention facilities, according to documents obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) as they continue litigation to make certain ICE records public.
“We love our children. School should always be a safe place.” – Manor ISD Superintendent Robert Sormani
So detention may look very different in the coming months, as the Trump administration works out how to house millions of newly arrested immigrants. Arrests will look different too. Trump’s border czar Tom Homan promised “to take the handcuffs off ICE” in a Fox News interview Jan. 17. And on Tuesday, Gov. Greg Abbott directed state police to deploy “tactical strike teams” to help federal agencies making immigration-related arrests.
And it’s now possible for these arrests to happen at schools. The Trump administration swiftly rolled back a restriction that kept ICE from performing raids at sensitive locations including schools and churches.
Austin ISD says it does not collect immigration documentation or provide such information to federal agencies, but roughly one in 12 Texas households include an unauthorized immigrant, according to the Pew Research Center. Roughly one in three of Austin ISD’s 74,000 students are emergent bilingual, meaning their family speaks a language other than English at home, per data from the district.
Spokespeople for the five Austin-area school districts that responded to our questions all said ICE has not contacted them about potential raids.
Superintendent Matias Segura acknowledged in a statement this week that “recent news cycles” take an “emotional toll.” He wrote: “For many in our community, these are not just policy discussions, but deeply personal issues that can create uncertainty and fear.” The district has not released any concrete plans to protect students or their parents from arrests, but points out on its website that undocumented children and children with undocumented parents “have the same right to attend Austin ISD as U.S. citizens and permanent residents.”
Round Rock ISD, with 47,000 students including kids who live in North Austin, is “committed to providing a safe, welcoming learning environment for all,” a spokesperson told us. RRISD campuses verify and track the identity of law enforcement officers who request access to students, and RRISD requires justification for interviewing students during instructional time, generally requiring that parents approve of any law enforcement interviews. But, if a warrant or subpoena is in play, Round Rock ISD must comply, the spokesperson explained.
“For many in our community, these are not just policy discussions, but deeply personal issues that can create uncertainty and fear.” – Austin ISD Superintendent Matias Segura
In Del Valle ISD, the district in Southeast Austin near the Tesla Gigafactory, state data shows about half of the student population is bilingual. A sober statement from the district this week acknowledged that the district doesn’t know “how these changes may impact schools.” In an FAQ online, the district answers what a parent should do if they believe immigration enforcement officers are nearby: “Remain calm and inform the campus administration if it looks like there are people on the campus who do not belong there.”
In an FAQ posted Tuesday, Lake Travis ISD has also clarified how arrests on campus might look: School principals will ask any officer who shows up for their identification. Before a school will allow access to a student, “in accordance with the law, the campus will work to inform the parent and remain in the room throughout the conversation to support the student.”
Meanwhile, Manor ISD’s superintendent sent a letter to school administrators that begins: “We love our children. School should always be a safe place for our families.” He writes that just because ICE can come to schools doesn’t mean they will, but “if they do,” administrators should ask them to provide ID. “Ask if they have any paperwork (i.e., subpoena, warrant, etc.). Ask if you could make copies of the paperwork for the Board of Education’s attorney to review. … Ask if the agent(s) will sit in the office while the Principal / Admin / SRO [School Resource Officer] arrives. … Keep notes … Do not argue with the agent or obstruct them in any way.” The last guideline: administrators are “not authorized” to provide officers with federally protected information about students.
Dripping Springs ISD, Elgin ISD, and Leander ISD had not responded to our questions as of press time.
This article appears in January 31 • 2025.
