Fan’s “Abolish ICE” T-Shirt Ejection Is a Bad Look for Austin FC

Last Saturday evening, Daniela Silva stepped off the CapMetro Red Line train at McKalla Station, excited to enjoy an evening of soccer and community inside Q2 Stadium for Austin FC’s latest match. Silva had been invited by friends from her church, and the match seemed like a way to decompress somewhat after a distressing week for many Austinites – particularly those of Latinx descent – following the ICE shooting of Wilber Rafael Garces Perez on Sept. 20. 

And for many fans, it was. Despite trailing 3-0 to San Diego FC at the 73-minute mark, Austin FC scored three consecutive goals in the final 17 minutes of the match to tie the score and preserve an undefeated streak that now spans eight MLS contests.

Silva, though, did not get to witness the thrilling comeback. By the time ATXFC turned things around on the pitch, she had already been removed from the stadium grounds by security and slapped with a 12-month ban from returning. That’s because she refused multiple requests – first from Austin FC staff, then stadium security, and finally, an APD officer – to cover her shirt that read in all capital letters, “ABOLISH ICE”.

According to Silva, club staff informed her that the shirt was in violation of Q2 Stadium policy, and offered her a free Austin FC-branded shirt to wear over her own, which she repeatedly declined. 

“It just felt extremely timely to wear this shirt to show solidarity to the people in the stands who might be afraid of going about their daily lives for fear that they’ll be kidnapped by ICE [and] to show the players that we stand in solidarity with them, regardless of where they come from,” Silva told the Chronicle. “Because it’s important now more than ever that people take a stand for what is right and decent in our country.”

Silva, an Austin-based policy coordinator who narrowly lost the District 3 City Council race in 2022, documented several moments of her removal from the standing-only supporters’ section, as well as from the stadium grounds, on her Instagram. In one video, she is told by stadium staff, “if you come back on property [within 12 months], you will be arrested.” 

“It felt really disproportionate, and like I was being punished because I refused to be silenced for what, to me, is a very reasonable and not aggressive T-shirt,” Silva said, adding that she purchased the shirt at a recent Parker Woodland concert. Just one month prior, the band’s lead singer, Erin Walter, played the Heartbeat Drum before an Austin FC match as the club’s special guest. The fact that Saturday night also happened to be Austin FC’s Hispanic Heritage Night only added to the irony.

According to an Austin FC statement emailed to the Chronicle, Silva’s shirt violated a Q2 Stadium policy prohibiting “signs, symbols, or images displayed for commercial purposes for electioneering, campaigning or advocating for or against any candidate, political party, legislative issues or government action.”

Policies like the above are common at sports venues across the United States, and are generally intended to avoid potential conflict among fans. However, the inconsistent enforcement of such policies is equally common, to the frustration of fans like Silva.

The club also cleared up ICE-related rumors that have been circulating among Austin FC online communities. “Despite reports to the contrary, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has not been present at Q2 Stadium during matches including last Saturday night. We can also confirm that ICE does not use Austin FC’s offices or facilities.”

While it is reassuring to know that Austin FC fans are apparently safe from direct encounters with the agency at Q2 Stadium, it is unfortunate that the club chose this timing to make a clear statement, that any visible opposition to an agency that threatens the safety of a large segment of the club’s fanbase won’t be tolerated on stadium property.

This article appears in October 2 • 2026.