ICE Chase and Arrest in Central Austin Raises Community Concerns
Central Austin residents are expressing worry and anger following an incident involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that unfolded Monday morning in the North Loop neighborhood. The incident involved a vehicle chase that ended with a car crashing into a resident’s front lawn and the subsequent detention of a man by masked officers, according to neighbors.
Clay Crenshaw, a resident of the area, described hearing a loud noise and witnessing a car in his yard with an armed individual nearby. He learned that ICE agents had pursued a driver through the neighborhood, culminating in the vehicle ending up on his property. While the car did not hit his house, Crenshaw voiced concern over the manner in which the operation was conducted.
“There was definitely some very dangerous, inappropriately fast driving happening during this operation on a street that is usually very packed with pedestrians,” Crenshaw said. “Thankfully, there was nobody. No pedestrians were involved.”
The Austin Police Department (APD) confirmed the incident, stating that its officers arrived to find federal ICE agents had initiated a vehicle pursuit. According to APD, none of the vehicles involved were marked as law enforcement vehicles. Crenshaw reported that neighbors told him the chase spanned at least two blocks, ending on West 55 1/2 Street.
Video footage of the arrest, showing at least three armed men with covered faces detaining a man on the ground, has been circulating online, reportedly posted to a website designed to report ICE sightings. Sam Law, another resident, shared the video on social media, highlighting what he believes is a lack of awareness regarding the scale of immigration enforcement activities within the city.
“A lot of people in Austin don’t understand the scale and violence of immigration detention that happens in our own backyard and the enforcement that’s going on,” Law said. “They think of it as something that is happening in different cities.”
Law noted that the North Loop neighborhood, known for its small businesses and unique character, is an unexpected location for such a visible ICE operation. Crenshaw echoed this sentiment, stating that neighbors, including U.S. Citizens, are feeling anxious about increased ICE presence in the area, particularly within a politically progressive community.
“This neighborhood is very, very politically progressive,” Crenshaw said. “So it’s not that surprising that everyone is just pretty angry about this.”
Following the incident, Crenshaw stated that an ICE officer removed the vehicle from his yard with assistance from APD, who also provided information on filing a complaint, though Crenshaw expressed reluctance to pursue legal action against the federal government. Law and other neighbors are now discussing ways to support those who may be detained by ICE and to document future encounters.
“We don’t know what would have happened in this video if this guy had gone outside and blown his whistles and neighbors had shown up and been able to document — maybe get the name of the person who was being detained, get information to his family,” Law said.
The incident comes amid broader concerns about the level of cooperation between APD and ICE. A police spokesperson confirmed that officers did not detain or arrest anyone and left the scene when their assistance was no longer needed. KUT News reached out to ICE for information regarding the arrest but has not yet received a response.
This event occurs as the Trump Administration continues to intensify its immigration crackdown, with daily ICE arrests in Texas jumping from an average of 85 per day during the final 18 months of the Biden Administration to 176 per day in the first six months under Trump, , according to reports. Rumors of larger ICE operations in Austin circulated last week as a winter storm approached, though city officials found no evidence to support those claims.
