AUSTIN, Texas — The Austin Police Department (APD) said they arrested five people this weekend during one of the many protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that took place following the shooting death of a woman by an ICE officer.
Protests were seen across the Lone Star State and the country after an ICE officer shot and killed Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis on Jan. 7, along with two protesters being shot be a federal agent in Portland, Oregon, on Jan. 8.
In a statement, APD said that it worked closely with various event organizers to facilitate peaceful protests. APD said the five arrests occurred during the “End ICE Terror” event on Saturday night, which blocked off East Eighth Street outside of the J.J. Pickle Federal Building.
Four of the individuals were arrested for obstructing a highway and one was arrested for interfering with the duties of a police officer, according to APD.
APD said that the protesters’ actions “escalated throughout the evening as they obstructed the roadways and placed drivers and bystanders in dangerous positions. Prior to making any arrests, officers gave numerous dispersal orders and other opportunities for those in attendance to be in compliance.”
A pepperball was deployed by APD to disperse the crowd, according to the statement.
Earlier that day, a different protest was held at Austin City Hall where hundreds attended, including U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, D-Austin. Organizers said they would be holding #IceOUTofAustin protests at that location biweekly to “educate onlookers and passerbys about the damage that ICE is doing to our city, our community, and our country.”
On Friday night, the Austin Immigrant Rights Action Committee held a peaceful protest at the Texas Capitol.
Other Texas cities also saw protests last week, including Dallas and San Antonio.
San Antonio city officials say they will be holding a special meeting next week to address the increased ICE presence in the city.
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story said four people were arrested during the protest. The Austin Police Department later said that a fifth person was arrested. (Jan. 13, 2026)