SAN ANTONIO – Multiple employees at a North Side seafood market were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while San Antonio police provided perimeter security under a state mandate, according to a source and a city memo obtained by KSAT.
In a memo sent to Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones, City Council, City Manager Erik Walsh and other city staff, City Attorney Andy Segovia said ICE and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) requested assistance from SAPD for the raid on Wednesday morning.
SAPD complied with the request under Texas law and provided perimeter security for the “HSI enforcement action,” the memo stated.
The three SAPD officers, including two San Antonio Fear Free Environment (SAFFE) Unit officers and a sergeant, were deployed.
The raid took place at Groomer’s Seafood at 9801 McCullough Ave. on the North Side, a source told KSAT.
“Approximately 12 people” were taken into custody without incident, according to Segovia. A source said at least seven of them were employees at Groomer’s.
An ICE spokesperson told KSAT the individuals are from Honduras, Mexico and Venezuela and are “suspected of being unlawfully present in the United States.”
ICE originally said seven people were detained.
Those detained by HSI on criminal charges will be transferred to the custody of the U.S. Marshals, while those detained for immigration violations will remain in ICE custody, according to the ICE spokesperson.
In his memo, Segovia said this is the first time “in several months” they’ve received a request for assistance.
He said the “request is one that is squarely within the scope contemplated by SB4, which requires Texas local authorities to cooperate with federal authorities on immigration enforcement.”
“We will continue to monitor these requests, including tracking the amount of SAPD resources needed to comply with the request, and will keep Council advised if individual or collective requests are out of the norm,” Segovia stated in the memo.
KSAT has reached out to SAPD for more details on frequency and compliance with assisting federal authorities in the detention of immigrants.
Since President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20, he has tightened efforts to secure the southern border.
Regarding ICE raids, SAPD sent the following statement to KSAT following Trump’s inauguration:
“SAPD has a long history of cooperating with Federal authorities on enforcement of immigration laws. We will continue to do that consistent with applicable law and availability of resources. Given that some of the contemplated enforcement actions have never been attempted, the City’s participation in any enforcement activity will be facilitated by effective communication and planning with Federal authorities.”
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