AUSTIN, Texas — Tensions remained high in downtown Austin on Sunday following an anti-ICE protest that organizers say ended with multiple arrests and an aggressive police response.

Members of the activist group Dare to Struggle Austin said they had been gathered outside the Travis County Jail since 9 p.m. Saturday as they awaited the release of protesters taken into custody during the demonstration.

During a Sunday afternoon press conference, organizers described what they called a brutal response by law enforcement during the protest, which they said drew more than 100 people to the area outside the JJ Pickle Federal Building downtown.

The protest was held in response to the killing of Renee Nicole Good, who was shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Organizers accused both the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Austin Police Department of cracking down on demonstrators, saying officers charged into the crowd using bicycles and fired pepper spray pellets.

At least seven people were arrested, according to organizers, including one person they say was detained after the protest had ended while walking to their car. The Austin Police Department estimates they will have more accurate arrest numbers to report on Monday.

Police detain protesters as tensions rise at Austin’s ‘End ICE Terror’ protest

The confrontation followed hours of escalating tension between protesters and law enforcement, and as demonstrators blocked traffic at a busy downtown intersection.

“I think that it’s definitely not okay that people are dying in detention centers and getting shot by ICE agents,” said Emilia, a member of Dare to Struggle Austin. “That’s what’s important, not traffic.”

At Sunday’s press conference, the group called for all arrested protesters to be released and for charges against them to be dropped. Organizers also demanded murder charges against Jonathon Ross and all ICE agents involved in Good’s death, charges against officers they accuse of using excessive force, and for ICE to leave Austin.

Gov. Greg Abbott responded to the protest on social media, writing “Texas is not Minnesota,” and saying the Texas Department of Public Safety would not put up with defiant protesters.

In a statement to CBS Austin, he said, “What happened in Minnesota is the direct result of years of reckless and dangerous rhetoric from national Democratic leaders. Federal, state, and local law enforcement officers have the right to defend themselves while carrying out their lawful responsibility. Using a vehicle as a weapon, threatening officers, or attempting to obstruct the enforcement of the law is dangerous and inexcusable. ICE agents should never have to fear for their lives for doing their jobs. In Texas, we back the men and women in uniform, we enforce the law, and put public safety as a top priority.” – Texas Governor Greg Abbott.

Texas is home to approximately 400 data centers — some currently operational, others still under construction and a number that are still in the planning stages. Experts say the boom comes with a lot of uncertainty.

Texas data center power demand

What they’re saying:

“Data centers are a relatively large power demand in a small area, something like, you know, 100 or 200 megawatts of power. That’s more than a small city or a small town would be consuming itself,” said Carey King, a research scientist with the Energy Institute at the University of Texas at Austin.

Over the past year, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas has received more than 200 gigawatts worth of large load interconnection requests, approximately 73% of which are from data centers. That has led to questions about whether the state’s grid is up to the task of supplying power to the facilities.

“Many of us who suffered through winter storm Uri still have PTSD over, you know, fears that the grid won’t be able to meet demand,” said Luke Metzger, the executive director of Environment Texas, a local nonprofit working to safeguard the state’s natural environment.

Question of infrastructure

That’s not the only question. King points out that there is also a question of whether all the proposed data centers will actually be built. He says if they don’t end up materializing, it could spell trouble for anyone making investment decisions based on the projections. And if infrastructure is built to accommodate the needs of projects that never come to fruition, those costs could be passed off to consumers in the form of higher rates.

Experts say these speculative data center projects have led to uncertainty around how much power will actually be needed to meet the demands of the state’s data centers.

Senate Bill 6, which was signed into law last June, outlined new requirements for data center projects, including stipulating that data centers put up more capital up front for things like transmission studies and interconnection fees. The bill is, in part, intended to reduce some of that uncertainty around speculative power loads.

Potential environmental impact

But concerns still remain around the potential environmental impact of the state’s data centers.

“There are an estimated 130 new gas-powered power plants that have been proposed for Texas, in part to meet this demand for data centers, and if they’re all built, that’s going to have as much climate pollution as 27 million cars,” said Metzger.

Above all, Metzger says the biggest uncertainty is water, as there is no central entity in the state that collects and compiles information on those needs.

On average, a single data center consumes millions of gallons of water annually, according to researchers with the University of Michigan. Metzger says that’s of particular concern here in Texas, where water supply is already being pushed to its limits.

“Texas is a very drought-prone state, and already, you know, you know, according to the Water Development Board, you know, we don’t have enough supply to meet demand,” said Metzger. “There is no way to make more water. And so, I think ultimately, you know that that could be the greatest concern for the state.”

Over the past year, residents across Central Texas have spoken out about data centers in places like Round Rock and Taylor, citing additional concerns including falling property values, noise, and health impacts.

What’s next:

Moving forward, experts recommend that local leaders undergo long-range planning to determine whether they’re able to allocate limited resources to data centers in the long run prior to approving these projects.