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Austin high school senior detained by ICE after DPS trooper used encrypted app to alert federal agents

May 27, 2026 · Austin, TX, Mexico

Austin high school senior detained by ICE after DPS trooper used encrypted app to alert federal agents

Luis Fernando Cabrera, an 18-year-old senior at Northeast Early College High School in Austin, was detained by ICE on May 1, 2026, after a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper pulled him over for expired vehicle registration. Body camera footage shows the trooper photographed Cabrera's school ID and used the encrypted messaging app Signal to contact federal immigration agents, receiving a message instructing him to "detain." Cabrera, who had an active pending asylum case dating to 2019 with no deportation order or criminal history, was transferred to Karnes County Immigration Processing Center over 100 miles away. His detention sparked protests from classmates and community members, with support from his school and St. James Episcopal Church. On May 20, a federal judge ordered ICE to release Cabrera, barring deportation and allowing him to graduate and take his final exams.

Timeline

May 1, 2026Luis Fernando Cabrera detained by ICE after DPS traffic stop for expired registration; trooper used encrypted app Signal to alert federal agents
May 1, 2026Cabrera transferred to Karnes County Immigration Processing Center over 100 miles away
May 1, 2026Classmates and community members protested detention; school and St. James Episcopal Church provided support
May 20, 2026Federal judge ordered ICE to release Cabrera and barred deportation, allowing him to graduate and take final exams

Sources

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