ICE operations confirmed in Hays County, local officials respond

cbsaustin.com · By Tara Brolley, Farrah Walton · 2026-01-15T22:25:43.000Z

HAYS COUNTY, Texas — Federal immigration enforcement operations were underway in Kyle and Buda on Thursday, with local officials confirming the activity but emphasizing they were not involved. One person was injured during detainment.Local officials say they had no advance notice. Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra says ICE agents had planned to park a transport bus on Thursday morning. He says the city asked them to move — and now many people are asking questions about ICE activity in the area.“It's clearly shown everywhere in the United States that they're doing whatever they want because they can," said Judge Becerra. They tried to park in the Buda City Hall, and the Buda City Hall said, no thank you. Keep moving.”Judge Becerra says he received no notice that ICE was going to be operating in his county on Thursday."And then they came down to Kyle and at, I think outside of a Costco, they beat up a resident trying to take them down because they're so poorly trained.”This is a video obtained by CBS Austin of the detainment of someone who wishes to remain anonymous. It shows multiple ICE agents making the arrest.“It's three people against one person," said Judge Becerra.The Kyle Police Department said the Hays County Sheriff's Office received a call at approximately 7:45 a.m. from Homeland Security/ICE requesting ambulance assistance for an individual being detained by federal authorities. Kyle police responded to provide support to EMS, and the individual was taken to a hospital."The City of Kyle and the Kyle Police Department are not involved with this operation or any other ICE operations, and were not made aware of this operation prior to the 911 Dispatch request," the department said.Kyle Mayor Yvonne Flores-Cale said the City Council was made aware of ICE's presence at 8:44 a.m. She said she contacted the city attorney to explore whether an emergency ordinance could be considered to help protect residents."I want to be clear: your city leadership intends to protect the residents of Kyle while upholding the law," Flores-Cale said. "These two responsibilities are not in conflict."She urged residents to remain calm and avoid acts of violence or confrontation.A spokesperson with the Hays County Sheriff's Office said the office does not have a policy in place to work with ICE, but that it is the sheriff's direction "that our office will assist any public safety agencies carrying out their lawful duties when assistance is needed.""The Hays County Sheriff's Office was not involved in this incident other than the call for EMS being filtered through our dispatch center," the spokesperson said.Mano Amiga, a community advocacy organization, said in a statement that a local man sustained injuries severe enough to require EMS treatment and hospital transport during the detainment process."The presence of ICE agents in our neighborhoods undermines public safety, erodes community trust, and puts vulnerable families at risk," said Eric Martinez, executive director of Mano Amiga.“They're hurting people, and this guy was actually beaten up," said Judge Becerra.The City of Buda said federal immigration enforcement agents informed the city Thursday morning they intended to temporarily park a transport vehicle at City Hall as a central location while conducting operations in surrounding areas. The city requested that the transport bus be relocated to free up limited public parking, and the agents complied."The City of Buda and the Buda Police Department are not involved with this operation," the city said.ALSO | US apologizes for mistake in deporting college student, but defends her removalKEYEHays County Commissioner Michelle Cohen said county officials were not given prior information about ICE involvement."We will be demanding answers for those detained and the scope of ICE in our County," Cohen said on Facebook.State Rep. Erin Zwiener also confirmed the ICE operations, urging residents who could be impacted to "be out and about today with caution."Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra praised Buda's transparency, saying "when federal activity creates uncertainty, speaking plainly and confirming facts is not easy—but it is the most helpful thing a city can do."CBS Austin has reached out to Homeland Security and ICE as well as State Senator Donna Campbell for comment -- and is still waiting to hear back."Everyone knows this is wrong. Everyone can see the damage it is doing," said Judge Becerra.Judge Becerra says the county is asking for more transparency. Officials in Buda and Kyle say they’ll keep focusing on safety as they learn more about ICE activity there.