Austin, TX

Austin Police Department updates procedures after controversial deportation

Published

3 days ago

March 5, 2026

Austin Police Department updates procedures after controversial deportation

AUSTIN, Texas — An update to the Austin Police Department’s (APD) procedures outlines that officers are not required to contact U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when a person is found to have an ICE administrative warrant if they have no other arrestable charge.

The update follows a controversial deportation from January, when a woman’s disturbance call to APD led to her detainment, alongside her 5-year-old child, who is a U.S. citizen.

The incident led to questions from the community regarding the way APD is supposed to interact with ICE.

In a March 4 memo, APD Police Chief Lisa Davis said that the directives provided by ICE administrative warrants could be confusing in their wording.

According to Davis, officers have not historically regularly encountered administrative warrants while using the National Crime Information Center database, which is used to conduct identity checks. However, in 2025, federal agencies began entering a large volume of administrative warrants into the system.

According to the memo, administrative warrants are formatted in a way that looks similar to criminal warrants in the system.

The APD General Orders have been updated to clearly define the difference between criminal warrants and ICE administrative warrants, as well as specific instructions for how ICE administrative warrants should be handled moving forward.

“APD recognizes the sensitivity of this issue, not only within our city but across the nation. These policies were updated to provide clarity to our officers, ensure compliance with state law, and maintain officer discretion guided by supervisory oversight and operational consideration,” Davis said in the memo.

The updated procedures instruct officers to contact their supervisor when a person is found to have only an ICE administrative warrant, but no other arrestable criminal charge. From there, the officer or their supervisor may contact ICE, but is not required to.

“Austin Police and City of Austin leadership share a paramount goal for Austin to be a safe city for everyone who lives, works, or visits here,” Davis said in the memo. “We particularly want to ensure that anyone who witnesses or is the victim of a crime feels secure in contacting the police for help.”

According to the memo, the entire APD staff will be required to complete new training regarding these updates.

“In concert with the policy updates, APD is launching a public webpage to help people understand their rights and provide links to resources available from the City of Austin and community organizations, such as Know Your Rights training,” Davis said in the memo. “The webpage will also include information on the option of using APD Victim Services as an alternative to calling 9-1-1, when appropriate, and links to all general orders and policies related to immigration.”

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Austin, TX

Texas’ Gorgeous State Park Northwest Of Austin Is A Rustic Haven With Caves And A Stunning Waterfall – Islands

Published

8 hours ago

March 8, 2026

Press Room

Texas’ Gorgeous State Park Northwest Of Austin Is A Rustic Haven With Caves And A Stunning Waterfall – Islands

Billy McDonald/Shutterstock

The landscapes around Austin are a natural wonderland for outdoor adventures, from diving into pristine swimming holes to kayaking on the beautiful lakes of the Texas Hill Country. But one destination northwest of the city is a particularly gorgeous escape. Colorado Bend State Park, about two hours away by car, is home to ethereal caves and a 70-foot spring-fed waterfall.

The 5,300-acre park has 35 miles of hiking trails, including one that leads to the park’s most famous feature, Gorman Falls. The rugged 3-mile round-trip hike is considered moderately challenging to difficult, with steep, rocky sections, slippery areas, and little shade from the sun. The trek is worth it for the chance to view the cascades, towering high above the river and fed by a mineral-rich spring. “The falls were beautiful, natural, and peaceful!” said one hiker on AllTrails. If you’re interested in other nearby adventures, be sure to check out all the breathtaking waterfall destinations tourists can find in Austin.

Sometimes the water at Gorman Falls is rushing, and other times the waterfalls are quieter, according to traveler reviews. “This is a beautiful trickling fall that is right out of a storybook about fairies,” said one review on Google. Many agreed that the hike itself isn’t easy. “Very rocky and challenging but worth the effort,” commented another. Several people mentioned that the trail may not be appropriate for beginners, kids, or dogs, that it gets very busy on weekends, and that it’s important to bring more water than you think you’ll need.

Plan an escape to Colorado Bend State Park

Gorman Falls Trail and the Colorado River at Colorado Bend State Park

David Wayne Radzieta/Shutterstock

Another of the park’s key attractions is its system of underground caves, which visitors can explore on a guided tour with Nichols Outdoor Adventures. The intermediate-level Adventure Tour ($25 per person), billed as “an introduction to what Texas caving is all about,” is a 1.5-hour excursion that takes participants deep underground to crawl through cavernous passageways. “It was a fabulous experience,” said one recent guest on TripAdvisor. “[The guide] did a great job of explaining the topography, how the caves were formed, and answering any and all questions throughout the tour.” The activity is only for travelers ages 8 and up, and though long pants, headlamps, and closed-toe shoes are required, helmets and knee pads are provided. You can book your tour online.

Whether you’re touring the caves or hiking to waterfalls, you’ll need to pay a day-use fee ($5 per person) to access Colorado Bend State Park. It’s smart to reserve your pass online, since the park has a limited capacity and often fills up. If you’re hoping to camp in the park, you’ll want to make arrangements even further in advance. Simple campsites (without hookups) start at $10 per night, while larger group sites start at around $35.

Colorado Bend State Park is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. It’s less than a two-hour drive from Austin’s international airport. If you love Colorado Bend, consider a detour to the secluded Inks Lake State Park, an idyllic getaway with shady trails and peaceful waters.

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Austin, TX

Sunday storms expected in Austin. Here’s how long rough weather could last.

Published

20 hours ago

March 8, 2026

Press Room

Sunday storms expected in Austin. Here’s how long rough weather could last.

While we saw severe weather across parts of the state on Saturday, the bulk of the action happened in North Texas but don’t let your guard down yet. That system will influence our weather in Central Texas throughout much of next week, bringing daily chances for rain and thunderstorms.

Saturday’s cold front has stalled across South Texas, and the next weather feature to watch is a closed system of low atmospheric pressure lingering near the Baja California coast. That system will send several atmospheric disturbances into Texas that will keep rain chances high across the region.

Overcast skies, spotty showers, light north winds, and cooler temperatures will welcome us Sunday morning. Temperatures will be in the middle and upper 50s through mid-morning and then climb about 10 to 15 degrees by the afternoon. Afternoon temperatures will remain closer to climatological normals for early March, in the upper 60s and low 70s.

While we do expect to see some thunderstorms across the region at times on Sunday, severe weather is not on the menu. Rain chances are about 50% with rainfall totals between a half-inch to an inch.

The comfortable temperatures and north winds will not hang around long once low pressure develops to our north and opens the door to winds from a more southerly direction by Monday. We’ll have a small rain chance, about 30% to 40%, on Monday with a few afternoon thunderstorms possible. Temperatures will be warm, though, with the morning near 60s degrees and the afternoon reaching the low 80s.

Rain chances look to ramp up again from Tuesday through Thursday with the potential for some strong and severe thunderstorms.

“For now, it looks like late Tuesday into Wednesday will be favored as a closed low (pressure system) moves across West Texas into Central Texas,” the National Weather Service wrote in a forecast bulletin. “We will likely see some changes in the path of this upper low, but the current latitude looks favorable for a line of convection (storm activity) along a Pacific cold front to accompany the passage of this system.”

“The latest guidance shows a 60 to 90% chance of at least 1 inch of rain for most of our area with a 40 to 60% chance of at least 2 inches for areas north of I-10,” the weather service said. “There is a potential for multiple inches across some areas.”

Once this storm heads east by Thursday afternoon, cooler and drier weather will filter in with temperatures closer to our March normals of 50 degrees and 71 degrees.

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Austin, TX

Austin weather: Cold front, storm risk to roll in mid-afternoon

Published

1 day ago

March 7, 2026

Press Room

Austin weather: Cold front, storm risk to roll in mid-afternoon

AUSTIN, Texas – It’s cold front day and storm day! The front is slowing down and not entering Central Texas until the afternoon during the warmest part of the day.

Austin weather risk

This will make the atmosphere unstable and more likely to generate isolated severe storms. The main concern will be with 1 to 2″ diameter hail.

Also a high risk of lightning and moderate chance of heavy rain with the highest flood threat staying in East Texas. Damaging wind and tornado risk remains very low. The first round of storms will happen by early to mid afternoon.

Risk for Saturday night

The second round will occur late tonight and into early Sunday. For now, a half to one inch of rain is likely for much of the area, with isolated spots getting over an inch.