Are ICE Raids Coming to Fort Worth?
- dgjimenez11
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
By Nisie
Since taking office in 2017, Fort Worth Sheriff Bill E. Waybourn has faced criticism for an increasing number of deaths at the Tarrant County jail and for strengthening his partnership with ICE. His recent announcement of new state funds through the 287(g) program marks another step toward intensified immigration enforcement, a move many taxpayers now openly oppose.
One Tarrant County resident I spoke with shared concerns about increased ICE raids in Fort Worth. She chose to remain anonymous, citing unease over Waybourn’s motives since he became Sheriff: “I do not travel without my passport, driver's license, and my birth certificate, and I have been since February 2024.” Anxiety among American citizens about arrest based on appearance or accent has intensified following the ICE raids. Smaller cities are also working to solidify partnerships with ICE.
Last year, U.S. Immigration detained 11 people at the Keller Regional Detention Facility, according to a statement released by Keller, Texas, Mayor Armin Mizani. Could Mizani be beefing up his campaign for State Office by showing off his ability to deport undocumented immigrants? That is a question voters will have to ask themselves at the polls.
According to recent demographic estimates, 31% of Tarrant County’s population identifies as Hispanic, meaning that nearly one in three residents falls into this group and may be at increased risk for unlawful arrests by ICE, regardless of documentation status. But according to Justice Brett Kavanaugh, citizens should not worry about being arrested without cause: “If the officers learn that the individual they stopped is a U.S. citizen or otherwise lawfully in the United States,” Kavanaugh wrote, “they promptly let the individual go.” So, no big deal, right? US citizens who have been detained do not agree. The violent arrests by ICE agents have left some victims permanently injured or traumatized from the ordeal. The violence is intense. Americans have been dragged, tackled, beaten, tased, and shot by immigration agents. They’ve had their necks kneeled on. At least three citizens were pregnant when agents detained them. One of those women had already had the door of her home blown off while Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem watched.
And at least 24 US citizens have been detained for over a day without contact with their families. One standout case is of a 79-year-old car wash owner. The ICE agent pressed their knee into his neck and back. His lawyer said he was held for 12 hours and wasn’t given medical attention despite having broken ribs in the incident and having recently had heart surgery. Incidents like this will no doubt cast a long-lasting mistrust of their own government, which is supposed to protect them from unlawful attacks by federal agents.
Will Tarrant County continue to accept these outcomes as residents live in fear due to Waybourn’s expanded ICE partnership?
Resources
Press, A. (June 10, 2024). Family of Texas man who died after altercation with jailers wants federal investigation. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/fd10b2923c95b97096ffec8aa4dae98a
(January 18, 2026). Texas Rolls Out $140K Grants to Sheriffs Who Deepen ICE Partnership Through 287(g). Breitbart News. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/01/19/texas-rolls-out-140k-grants-to-sheriffs-who-deepen-ice-partnership-through-287g/
(2025). Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office 287(g) Program. Tarrant County Sheriff's Office. https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/en/sheriff/sheriff-s-administration/287g.html
(May 17, 2023). Tarrant County’s immigration enforcement program hits pause due to short staffing, ICE says. KERA News. https://www.keranews.org/news/2023-05-18/tarrant-countys-immigration-enforcement-program-hits-pause-due-to-short-staffing-ice-says
Rodriguez-Mora, B. (August 5, 2025). Keller becomes the largest Texas city to formally partner with ICE. The Dallas Morning News. https://www.dallasnews.com/news/immigration/2025/08/06/keller-becomes-the-largest-texas-city-to-formally-partner-with-ice/
(Oct 16, 2025) “We Found That More Than 170 U.S. Citizens Have Been Held by Immigration Agents. They’ve Been Kicked, Dragged and Detained for Days. by Nicole Foy, photography by Sarahbeth Maney
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