State Troopers Arrest City Council Candidate for ICE Protest

Misael Ramos, a candidate for Austin City Council’s District 1, was arrested this morning, Sept. 26, by Texas Department of Public Safety officers on misdemeanor riot charges connected to Ramos’ participation in the protest against ICE’s shooting of Wilber Rafael Garces Perez in North Austin on Sunday, Sept. 20.

According to Ramos’ campaign manager, Jeffrey Clemmons, multiple state troopers approached Ramos as he walked his dog around 8:50am and took him into custody. He was booked into the Travis County Jail less than an hour later for “riot participation,” according to the Travis County Sheriff’s Office’s records.

Ramos provided a statement through Clemmons from the jail: “That these officers felt emboldened to do this to me, as a candidate on the ballot, speaks volumes to the level of impunity they feel to do this to our neighbors, who are living in fear of these kinds of abductions every day. We must end the terror in our communities created by the fascist administration in Washington and here in Texas – I will never stop standing up and speaking out for our community.”

As of 1:30pm, Ramos remained locked up in the Travis County Jail, according to attorney Skip Davis, who is representing him. According to Paul Quinzi, an attorney with the Austin Lawyer’s Guild, it is possible that approximately 20 more people may have been issued warrants for arrest, based on language in a probable-cause affidavit that Quinzi has in his possession, issued for a person arrested and released earlier this week in relation to the Sunday ICE protests. 

Quinzi quoted the probable cause affidavit, which is not readily available to the public. “Utilizing publicly sourced video footage, it is estimated upwards of 150 people were at the site of the protest, with at least 20 people observed performing criminal acts in association with the assembly, such as assault, obstructing a highway, and criminal mischief,” Quinzi read. 

The Chronicle reached out to Texas DPS to independently verify the number of riot participation arrests made this morning, and has not received a response as of publication.

A press conference over Ramos’ arrest is scheduled for 4pm outside the jail at 509 W. 11th.

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