ICE arrests 200 people in San Antonio
Governor Abbott says 200 people were taken into custody in San Antonio over the weekend after federal agents carried out an enforcement operation. Now some in the community are responding in protest.
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Governor Abbott said about 200 people were taken into custody in San Antonio over the weekend after federal agents carried out an enforcement operation.
Now, some in the community are responding in protest.
ICE raid in San Antonio
The backstory:
The operation unfolded around 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 16, on San Antonio’s north side.
FBI San Antonio confirmed migrants from Venezuela, Honduras, Mexico, and other South American countries were taken into ICE custody.
On Monday, Governor Greg Abbott posted on X that the Texas Department of Public Safety joined federal and local authorities in raising what he called a “TDA sex and human trafficking operation” in San Antonio.
Federal authorities provided little information on the operation.
Dig deeper:
Also on Monday, the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations announced a new regional Homeland Security Task force. The agencies say it will target transnational criminal organizations involved in complex federal crimes both in the U.S. and overseas.
The task force will include dozens of federal and local partners across all 50 states, including the DEA, U.S. Marshals, and border patrol.
FBI San Antonio says the group is designed to serve as a model for protecting the homeland from evolving threats, safeguarding critical infrastructure, and boosting national resilience.
Protesters speak out
Local perspective:
Protesters took to the streets of San Antonio on Monday in response to the immigration raids.
“We’ve got to change what’s going on right now. It’s obviously over-the-top corruption and doing it out, and it’s ruining families, ruining lives and affecting everyone in the United States,” said attendee Angelo Carrilo.
Texas LULAC is the largest and oldest civil rights volunteer-based organization that works to empower Hispanic Americans and build strong Latino communities. It says these “kidnappings” will not be tolerated.
The group held a rally at San Pedro and Basse Road, where the raids happened over the weekend. Many held signs, chanted, and shared stories.
One attendee, a local teacher, Carly Leech, shared how the operation impacted her student.
“The way it’s affecting our community, I see teachers that are terrified, I see families that are terrified, the neighbors of this family are terrified. We are not a terrorist country, this is a country of immigrants, and we need to fight,” said Leech.
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin’s Jenna KingÂ