Hays County Sheriff’s Office involvement in immigration raid at Dripping Springs prompts community response

By Jissela Cabrera

News Reporter

Hays County, Texas— A multi-agency operation in Dripping Springs on April 1 resulted in the arrest of 47 individuals, including nine minors, who authorities allege are connected to a Venezuelan transnational gang.

The operation involved U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), Homeland Security and the Hays County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO).

The FBI’s San Antonio Division announced the arrests in a Facebook post, stating the operation was part of an ongoing investigation into the Tren de Aragua gang. Authorities said they are reviewing potential charges resulting from the investigation and accompanying search warrant.

The Hays County Sheriff’s Office’s participation in the operation has drawn responses from local advocacy organizations.

Mano Amiga, a San Marcos–based nonprofit that advocates for changes in the criminal justice and immigration systems in Hays and Caldwell counties, issued a statement on Facebook expressing solidarity with those affected by the operation. The group called for due process, transparency, accountability and support for impacted families.

The organization also expressed concern about the long-term effects of such operations, stating they can cause “lasting harm to families, communities, and the collective sense of safety and trust.”

Mano Amiga acknowledged the Sheriff’s Office’s clarification in a Facebook post that it was not the lead agency in the operation and had participated at the request of federal authorities. However, the group emphasized its position that institutions should be held accountable for the impact of their involvement.

The Caldwell/Hays Examiner, a local news outlet focused on justice and equity issues in the area, also issued a statement via Facebook. The outlet questioned the Sheriff’s Office’s participation, citing a prior public statement from an HCSO spokesperson that the agency would avoid involvement in certain federal immigration actions in an effort to build community trust.

Jordan Buckley, co-founder of Mano Amiga and founder of the Caldwell/Hays Examiner, expressed concern about the Sheriff’s Office’s role in the operation.

“Just two months ago, they stated that they would not be engaging in any sort of federal law-enforcement, federal immigration activities, nor would they take part in mass arrests or raids,” Buckley said. “So, this just struck us as a total hypocrisy of the county law-enforcement saying they wouldn’t get involved, when they now do it two months later.”

Buckley also raised concerns about the use of public resources, including tax dollars, in federal enforcement operations that he believes can bypass due process.

The Hays County Sheriff’s Office has not released additional comments beyond its initial statement clarifying its supporting role in the federal-led operation.