By Prime Path Immigration Law Firm Limited USA, on Immigration Updates
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have significantly increased arrests at Travis County jails near Austin, sometimes making pickups multiple times daily, with individuals typically waiting 24 hours or less before transferring to federal custody. The number of ICE detainers issued to people booked into Travis County jails rose 40% in the first six months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, with May 2025 seeing a peak of 343 people flagged for ICE pickup, representing nearly 15% of the local jail population. This increase cannot be fully explained by jail population growth alone and reflects the Trump administration's expanded immigration enforcement priorities.
Under Texas law, counties must hold individuals for up to 48 additional hours when background checks reveal potential undocumented status, regardless of whether the original arrest was for minor infractions like driving without a license or more serious allegations. Immigration attorneys report that ICE is increasingly detaining people who are legally present or pursuing legal residency, raising concerns among civil rights advocates and local officials like Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez, who worry that aggressive enforcement undermines trust with immigrant communities. A new state law taking effect by the end of 2026 will require counties to deepen partnerships with federal immigration agents through options including creating local immigration task forces, which advocates predict will further increase deportation numbers.
For more information on this, and other immigration matters, contact the attorneys at Prime Path Immigration Law Firm Limited USA today.
Reference:
ICE is Seizing People from Some Texas Jails in Daily Immigration Sweeps, KERA News (Oct. 28, 2025), https://www.keranews.org/texas-news/2025-10-28/trump-ice-detainer-jail-arrest-texas-travis-austin-immigration.
