‘It saddens me’: Protesters take to the Texas Capitol after ICE operations in Austin

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Protestors gathered at the Texas Capitol Sunday afternoon after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations were conducted in Austin. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration confirmed to KXAN that it assisted in those operations.

Rally attendee Cheryl Flores spoke to KXAN about how the Austin ICE operations impacted her family.

“They are the epitome of the American Dream,” Flores said. “They’ve come here and worked hard. They have a right to be here just like anyone else who has fled a country that doesn’t provide the needs of the citizens.”

The protest comes as Trump administration officials oversaw ICE immigration enforcement actions in Chicago on Sunday.

“It doesn’t surprise me — more than anything, it saddens me. This was very much anticipated, [President Trump] talked about this for a really long time,” said Anna Palito, who attended the demonstration. “I just feel like everybody felt like they needed to do something about it, instead of just kind of standing around and waiting for things to change.”

The protesters spent the afternoon dividing into groups in order to continue planning future demonstrations.

“We want to show them we’re not going anywhere,” she continued.

Palito, who works at an immigration law firm as an office administrator, encouraged immigrant families to connect with attorneys.

“Maybe one of your family members has a way of obtaining lawful status, and they just don’t know. So it’s very important to take action now and stop waiting,” Palito said.