Austin Woman Visits Her Parents’ House. She’s On the Lookout for ICE, Too: ‘I Have To Warn Them’

An Austin woman is on the look-out for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity around her parents’ neighborhood. She’s not the only one in the Central Texas area on high alert.

TikTok creator Claudia (@_clauu.ivette) posted a video this week while on her way to help her mother with some cooking. While that’s normal for their family, what Claudia had to do on her way there wasn’t normal at all.

“I’m looking out to see if there’s any ICE agents around my parents’ house, because if there is I need to warn them to be careful,” she says. “That’s the world we live in right now.”

Austin Woman on ICE: ‘That’s the World We Live in Right Now’

Claudia is far from the only one on high alert right now when it comes to ICE activity in Central Texas. There are media reports of ICE activity in cities across the state, including Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Dallas.

Holistic health coach and actor Aubrey Blake posted her own video over the weekend about “icy patches” in the region and urged her followers to do what they personally can to fight back.

“So much so that we’re having a hard time keeping up,” she says. “Reminder to spread the words to your friends and family.”

In the comments section, one person remarked, “This took me a hot minute to translate, because we actually are expecting severe weather this Friday. Not lol-ing at the actual thing you’re referencing.”

Someone else said, “I share every time I see this cold front mentioned anywhere in Austin or Texas.”

How Are Texas Communities Responding to ICE Activity?

Austin realtor and lifestyle creator Shreya Kolluri posted a video on Monday asking what is being done to support people like Claudia’s parents who might be wary of ICE interactions.

Specifically, she wanted to know if there was a network set up to bring people groceries and other necessities.

The Grassroots Leadership-affiliated community group Ice Fuera Austin offers these resources, which include a Know Your Rights brochure, yard signs, a back of door sign, a 4th Amendment outreach toolkit, ICE Free Zone poster, and a family preparedness toolkit.

Last year, HIAS published a list of recommendations for how communities should respond to ICE raids. The list includes communicating with your legislators, connecting immigrants with legal resources, joining a local rapid response network through a local organization or an interfaith coalition. Additionally, some advocates go with their neighbors to deportation hearings, appointments, or other scenarios in which they could encounter ICE.

Are There ICE Raids Happening in Austin Right Now?

ICE has been spotted in Georgetown, per KXAN; Hays County, per KVUE. On social media, users have warned of seeing ICE agents in South Austin, specifically the South Park Meadows shopping center. Patch cannot independently verify these claims.

Tuesday saw an anti-ICE protest downtown at city hall.

Patch Texas contacted Claudia, Blake, and Kolluri via email for comment.

@_clauu.ivette