Committee Updates
Treasury
Spent some money on PO Box and updated banking administration for checks etc.
Subscription link on website, for Newsletter
ICE/DPS Operation
- Sandra introduces the topic on the operation that occurred on Wooten Park Drive
- Council Member Vela reports on it
- Lots of concern since Trump came into office
- Now there is a decent sense of what is happening right now
- CM Vela has direct experience as an Immigration Attorney
- They are not doing “Raids,” actions where they expect to see many undocumented immigrants, like at a flea market
- They are doing targeted enforcement, going to a specific place for a specific person.
- Traditionally ICE has a lower profile.
- 5:30 am arrests
- At routine traffic spots
- Now they are more high profile, trying to maximize shock value.
- Numbers of people being detained has not changed substantially (according to Mexican Consulate)
- Multiple arrests
- 3 arrests
- 2 bystanders swept up and returned to Mexico and didn’t have anything to do with targeted criminal activity
- Seem to be targeting folks that are already in the system
- Pending court case
- Have DACA
- Temporary Protected Status
- Outstanding warrant
- APD and City have been bypassed, this was DPS/ICE operation
- APD policy is to not ask about immigration status, they don’t enforce it and don’t know the law.
- DPS and ICE will wear Police vests
- Also, private security will Police vests
- Question about UT students have visa revoked.
- CM Vela thinks it’s blatantly illegal.
- Question about how target bystanders is legal
- Police are allowed to approach anybody in a public setting
- Rick shows know your right cards.
- Vela mentions people are required to ID, suggest Austin Library Card, photo ID as a neutral form identification.
- Council Member Vela reports on it
- Sophia Mirto from CivicDuty TX presents Community Defense Against ICE activity. Presentation can be found here:
- Questions & Discussion:Is it illegal for law enforcement to misidentify?
- Yes, but they often try to be misleading
- Be very careful interacting with law enforcement. You may not think you’re being threatening, but they may perceive it that way.
- Questions & Discussion:Is it illegal for law enforcement to misidentify?
Contact Team
- Closing in on an Anderson Square Covenant Agreement. We meet with both attorneys last week and are having final revisions. About 20 people voted on the terms of the agreement at the November Association meeting, so the plan is to sign the covenant when both sides agree that the contract matches the terms of the agreement voted on.
- 2100 Polaris
- Tom has been working to extend the get the developer to agree to 25 feet easements and provides an update.
- Ryan received the letter agreement document that they will submit to council. Has concerns that if the developer sells it might not get executed.
- North Lamar Transit Station Update
- FLUM changes related to the station vision plan.
Laura Dierenfield from Transportation, Public works
- Burrell improvements.
- Water and wastewater improvements
- Just resurfaced the street
- Wants to comeback to next neighborhood meeting and talk about options
- Burrell is challenging because there is residential frontage on both sides of the street.
- Delaying stripping and traffic calming for feedback.
- Lots of conversations about traffic calming on Facebook.
Wootenannie will be on May 12 at Nosh and Bevvy