Gov. Greg Abbott issued five executive orders on Jan. 29 directing state agencies to assist federal immigration operations to “investigate, apprehend, detain and deport” undocumented migrants within state borders. 

The directives came one day after Abbott ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety to deploy strike teams including state troopers, special agents and Texas Rangers who led the department’s border security program to assist with homeland security operations. One of the orders includes instructing the state’s criminal justice department to identify facilities for detention and deportation. 

“For the past four years, Texas has worked around-the-clock to defend our southern border while former President Joe Biden refused to protect our country from an invasion he allowed,” Abbott said in a press release. “Now, we have a Commander-in-Chief in the White House who will do what is necessary to protect Americans.” 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have carried out operations in several Texas cities, including Austin. The agency reported 1875 arrests nationally as of Jan. 30. 

The exact number of apprehensions in Austin remains unconfirmed. 

The J.J. Pickle Federal Building is being used as a temporary holding facility for migrants, according to KXAN. Federal agency offices are housed in the building, including ICE and the Department of Homeland Security, as well as regional offices of Congressman Lloyd Doggett and Senator Ted Cruz. 

“Authorizing armed federal immigration agents to enter churches, schools, and hospitals will only create chaos,” Doggett said in an email statement. “Like his previous policy of deliberately taking children from their mothers, Trump is making cruelty his principal immigration policy.” 

The office of Senator Ted Cruz and the Texas Department of Public Safety did not respond to requests for comment.