AUSTIN, Texas – At the Pan American Neighborhood Park in East Austin, a sea of demonstrators joined together to protest ICE activity across the country.

East Austin ICE protest

An estimated 3,700 people RSVP’d to Saturday’s “Stop ICE” rally, held by State Rep. James Talarico. Featured alongside him were other elected officials, such as U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, and U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, who could be heard saying, “No more ICE terrorizing Minneapolis. No more ICE terrorizing Austin. No more!”

Besides officials, families who had been directly impacted by immigration enforcement also shared their experiences. Alongside her children, a woman named Evelyn spoke about how it’s been almost two months since she’s seen her husband after he was detained by immigration officials.

What they’re saying:

“ICE destroyed my family. It stole my husband from us, leaving us destitute. All my husband was doing that day, December 2nd, was getting gas to go to work. My husband is not a criminal,” Evelyn said through an interpreter.

Liam Ramos ordered to be released

Many eyes were still on Liam Ramos, a five-year-old detained alongside his father in Minnesota. The two are currently held at an immigration center in Dilley, Texas. At Saturday’s rally, Casar gave an update on his potential release.

“Austin, I’m glad to tell you that a judge has ordered Donald Trump to release Liam Ramos,” said Casar.

The ruling came from federal Judge Fred Biery, who on Saturday ordered the release of Liam Ramos and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, from the facility in Dilley. Per the order, the pair are to be released no later than Tuesday, Feb. 3.

“The case has its genesis in the ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children,” Biery said in the order.

Other ICE detainees

But for Castro, who visited the center last week with U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, their attention now shifts to the other children and families still held in ICE detainment.

“There was also a nine-year-old named Mateo from Austin, Texas,” Castro said. “He and his family we’re picked up on New Year’s Eve, and they spent New Year’s Eve getting processed into the Dilley Detention Center.”

And as their cause moves forward, Casar urged the people of Saturday’s rally to not lose hope.

“We cannot bring back Mr. Pretti or Ms. Good. But in honor of their memories, people are rising up to demand a better world. Austin, together, we can build it,” said Casar.

We started January with temperatures in the 70s and 80s during the first 10 days of the month. By mid-month, a couple of cold fronts moved through, bringing temperatures closer to seasonal averages in the 50s and 60s, with two days briefly reaching the low 70s. 

These two winter weather events are delivering frigid temperatures not only to Texas but across the Deep South as well, with some areas seeing snowfall from Florida to the Carolinas. In fact, this past week, Pensacola in the Florida Panhandle recorded colder temperatures than Juneau, the capital of Alaska.

Well, on Sunday a flight to Juneau would likely take you to warmer temperatures than Austin. 

In Juneau, temperatures on Sunday morning will be about 10 degrees warmer than their normal late January average of 24 degrees. Interestingly, they will also be seeing rain instead of snow in that region of the country because of the above-freezing temperatures. 

By comparison, a dry arctic cold front moved across Central Texas late in the week, and frigid air is now settling into the region. Temperatures are expected to fall into the low 20s by Sunday morning under clear skies and light winds. For a brief time, Austin will be colder than parts of Alaska on Sunday.

Here are four typically cold locations around the world where Austin will be just as cold, or even colder, on Sunday morning:

The weather pattern across the United States has become increasingly amplified, with surges of arctic air plunging south through the central Plains and into the eastern third of the country. To analyze this pattern, meteorologists examine the atmosphere from the top down.
In the upper atmosphere, where the jet stream flows, a classic ridge-and-trough pattern is visible, with the trough extending deep into Texas.

In the middle atmosphere, temperatures are well below freezing, with the freezing line reaching all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.

In the lower atmosphere, we see actual surface temperatures across the country. The coldest air is concentrated over the Midwest, Great Lakes, and Northeast.

Where temperatures are lowest and wintry precipitation is likely, the National Weather Service has issued numerous cold and winter weather alerts across the Southeastern United States.

Tattoo artists and enthusiasts gathered in downtown Austin for the 23rd annual Star of Texas Tattoo Art Revival at the Palmer Events Center on Friday. The multi-day convention brings together about 350 tattoo artists from across the United States and beyond, giving visitors a chance to watch tattoos being created live, meet artists, and explore a wide range of styles.
Photos from the event capture artists at work, clients receiving fresh ink, and crowds moving through the convention floor as the weekend gets underway. The revival is one of the largest tattoo conventions in Texas and draws thousands of attendees each year.
Organizers expect about 5,000 people to attend the 2026 event, which continues through Sunday. The Star of Texas Tattoo Art Revival is part of Austin’s broader creative scene and is one of many things to do in Austin highlighting art, culture, and personal expression.