When a Texas state trooper pulled over an Austin ISD senior for expired tags at 2 a.m. on May 1, the machinery that sent him to a detention center south of San Antonio had been built piece by piece. Here is the documented sequence.
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DPS signs 287(g) agreements with ICE
The Texas Department of Public Safety signed 287(g) agreements with ICE, authorizing certified state troopers to perform functions typically reserved for federal immigration agents. The trooper who stopped Cabrera held that certification.
May 1, 2026
Trooper stops Cabrera for expired tags; ICE takes custody
Luis Fernando Cabrera, 18, was driving home around 2 a.m. when a Texas state trooper pulled him over for expired tags, determined he was 'not lawfully present,' and transferred him to ICE under the 287(g) agreement. Cabrera, who immigrated at age 11 and had an asylum case pending, was sent to Karnes County Immigration Processing Center.
May 11, 2026
Lawmakers and advocates rally for Cabrera's release
Local elected officials and immigration advocates gathered publicly to call for Cabrera's release from Karnes County, drawing attention to his pending graduation and asylum case.
May 13, 2026
AG Paxton demands Dallas County sheriff formalize ICE partnership
Attorney General Ken Paxton sent a demand to Dallas County Sheriff Marian Brown requiring her office to enter a formal agreement with ICE by December 1, even though the sheriff's office said it already cooperates with federal immigration authorities.
May 14, 2026
Federal judge halts key sections of SB 4 one day before activation
A U.S. judge granted a preliminary injunction blocking critical sections of Senate Bill 4, which would have allowed local police to arrest people suspected of illegal border crossing — though a provision permitting such arrests did activate.
May 15, 2026
KVUE confirms injunction; SB 4 partially blocked
KVUE reported the same federal injunction, confirming that the judge's order halted the sections of SB 4 that would have most broadly expanded local law enforcement's immigration arrest authority.
May 19, 2026
Congressman Casar visits Karnes; Cabrera takes finals from detention
U.S. Rep. Greg Casar met with Cabrera and other detainees inside Karnes County Immigration Processing Center. Cabrera, weeks from his scheduled graduation, was taking final exams from inside the facility; an Austin elementary school teacher was also reported to have been detained there for nearly a year.