AUSTIN, Texas — Lawmakers and activists gathered in East Austin Saturday to call for changes to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) policies and the release of families detained by the agency.
Congressman Joaquin Castro addressed a crowd at Pan American Neighborhood Park, urging the release of children and non-criminal detainees and calling for the disbandment of ICE. “Those children should be released, all those people without a criminal record should be released,” Castro said.
The rally came days after five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father were freed from ICE custody following a federal court order. The Minneapolis family had drawn national attention after a widely circulated photo of the boy in his coat and backpack while detained sparked outrage. Castro met with the family at the Dilley Detention Center earlier in the week.
State Representative James Talarico, along with U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, emphasized that the protests are part of broader efforts to scale back, and potentially end, ICE operations nationwide. “We mobilized 5,000 people to make their voices heard,” Talarico said. “This is just the beginning.”
Attendees at the rally shared personal reasons for joining the demonstration. Megan Duffy, raised in a conservative family, said she felt compelled to protest what she sees as violations of core American values. Renaudt Nunez, the son of immigrants, added, “We’re all Americans at some point, right? This isn’t a fight that’s going to go away. We have to make our voices known.”
The rally coincides with heightened scrutiny of ICE operations in Texas. On Friday, Governor Greg Abbott requested that the state education commissioner investigate Austin ISD following student walkouts protesting immigration enforcement.
The demonstrations in Austin reflect ongoing national debates over ICE practices, family detention, and the treatment of immigrants in the U.S.