Protesters Urge Austin to Not Cooperate with ICE
By Sheldon Munroe
Photography By Destiny Lewis and Sheldon Munroe
Reporting Texas
Hundreds of protesters gathered outside Austin City Hall on Tuesday — one year to the day after President Donald Trump’s inauguration for his second term — to denounce ICE deportations and demand that the city stop cooperating with federal immigration enforcement.
“It is super important that we come out and use our First Amendment right to protest and petition,” said protest organizer Sophia Mirto.
The federal government has intensified its immigration crackdowns under Trump, and the protest occurred less than two weeks after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot a Minnesota woman, Renee Good. The incident has renewed national scrutiny of ICE activities and sparked protests nationwide.
“The tipping point has been masked secret police on our street. This is terrifying to me,” said protester Susan Wetmore of Austin.
Chants such as “Hey, hey, ho, ho, ICE has got to go” could be heard throughout the Austin protest. Signs declared, “ICE off our streets,” “ICE OUT” and “Defund ICE.”
According to the Pew Research Center using U.S. Census Bureau data, Texas has the second-largest undocumented immigrant population in the country, behind California. The Texas Tribune reported recently that ICE deportations in Texas have increased in Texas and that in first six months of Trump’s term before street sweeps began in places like Chicago and Minneapolis, Texas had accounted for about 24% of ICE detentions.
People at the protest, which organizers called “ICE Out of ATX,” also criticized Texas Senate Bill 4, which the Legislature passed in 2023 to limit local governments’ ability to refuse cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Protesters called for the bill’s repeal.
Protesters presented a petition to city officials with over 10,000 signatures calling for Austin city leaders to pass an ordinance prohibiting Austin Police Department employees from assisting ICE and the Department of Homeland Security with administrative immigration warrants. This assistance includes warrant checks, detentions, transfers of custody and the sharing of location information with immigration authorities.
The petition also calls on Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis to retrain all Austin police staff to ensure they do not assist with ICE warrant executions by sharing the location of undocumented people residing in the city.
Protesters at Austin City Hall demonstrate against immigration crackdowns launched in the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term. Sheldon Munroe/Reporting Texas
The protest was organized by Hands Off Central Texas, a coalition of individuals and organizations who, according to their website, says their mission is to “defend democracy.” Member organizations include the League of Women Voters, the Transgender Education Network of Texas, the Austin Sanctuary Network and the Austin Justice Coalition.
Honks by supportive passing drivers were constant throughout the event. At least one driver, however, made an obscene gesture at the protesters. In response, dozens of protesters returned the gesture and one protester walked into traffic to confront the driver. The situation ended when the driver sped off.
Immigration attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch told protesters of their rights and promoted an action plan to help immigrant families know their rights and be prepared in case of ICE arrest or detainment.
She also emphasized that constitutional protections apply to both U.S. citizens and noncitizens.
Members from Hands Off Central Texas distributed whistles and cards with instructions. The cards included a script to be read aloud if confronted by immigration officials. The script also gave whistle instructions: three short bursts for ICE sightings and three long bursts for ICE detentions.
Activists walked throughout the protest handing out buttons with slogans such as “Then They Came for Me,” along with flyers for organizations including the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.
Daniel Ramirez, a member of Students for Democratic Society, noted that other presidents have conducted mass deportations, but says Trump’s intensified approach to immigration crackdowns signals a new approach. “Trump posting deportation videos is wide open,” he said.
The protest, he said, represents “a perfect time when consciousness is budding for change.”
Anti-ICE protesters outside Austin City Hall call for the city to stop cooperating with immigration authorities. Sheldon Munroe/Reporting Texas