Local Paper Warns Illegal Aliens of ICE Presence at Allsup's

SAN ANGELO, TX — On Facebook, Conexion Hispana San Angelo posted a public alert warning people in the country illegally that ICE agents had been spotted at the Allsup’s convenience store and gas station at 4028 S. Bryant Blvd. The page wrote: “Alert to the community : The ICE immigration department is located at the Alsups in San Angelo on S. Bryant and other strategic locations, be careful.”

The post, shared just after noon, drew rapid attention. Within roughly two hours it had more than 100 likes, was shared more than 140 times, and generated over 100 comments. Many commenters criticized the warning as interference with law enforcement; others praised ICE for doing its job.

San Angelo LIVE! drove to the Allsup’s to check at around 2 p.m. There was no visible evidence of federal agents or late-model rental vehicles commonly associated with such operations. Inside, the manager on duty was asked whether ICE had been there that day. She replied, “I can’t say yes or no,” then declined further comment and referred questions to the district manager. She would not provide a name or contact number, took a phone number, and said the district manager would call back. No return call was received.

Local ICE Holds and Jail Revenue

The Tom Green County Detention Center has seen a steady presence of inmates held on “ICE Hold,” a designation typically indicating a person is in the country without legal status and has been flagged for federal immigration authorities. Recent booking reports from the jail show multiple ICE holds among daily intakes. There are also pending federal immigration cases in the San Angelo division of the Northern District of Texas, including charges such as illegal re-entry after removal.

Tom Green County Sheriff Nick Hanna has noted that federal arrangements generate revenue for the county. One agreement with a border-area prosecution unit provides roughly $1.8 million annually to keep 48 beds available (paid whether occupied or not). ICE holds are separate from that arrangement and add to the population. With a rated capacity of 552, federal immigration-related holds have represented a noticeable share of the jail’s occupancy at times.

Political Shift After Midterms

ICE cooperation and state border spending are now political issues in Texas. In the 2026 midterms, Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and will become governor in January 2027. Hinojosa has long criticized Operation Lone Star—Abbott’s multi-billion-dollar border initiative that deployed DPS troopers and National Guard personnel—as “political theater” and a waste of taxpayer money that did not meaningfully improve safety. She has said she will review the program and has opposed using state resources to support operations she views as terrorizing families or benefiting private contractors.

Incoming Democratic statewide leaders, including Attorney General-elect Nathan Johnson, have indicated they will scrutinize 287(g) agreements that allow state and local officers limited immigration enforcement roles. Houston’s mayor has already moved to restrict police contacts with ICE on purely civil immigration warrants. While state law (SB 8) requires certain sheriffs operating jails to enter some form of ICE agreement, the governor and attorney general can influence the scope of DPS involvement, disaster declarations underlying Operation Lone Star, and overall state priorities. Hinojosa has said she will not act contrary to existing law but intends to redirect resources away from what she describes as non-essential state assistance to federal immigration operations.

Violence and Disputed Incidents in Texas Operations

ICE enforcement operations have produced lethal and contested encounters in Texas. On July 7, 2026, ICE agents in Houston fatally shot 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national who had lived in the U.S. for decades and worked in construction. Agents were conducting a targeted enforcement operation involving unmarked vehicles. DHS said Salgado Araujo ignored commands, rammed or used his van as a weapon, and an agent fired in self-defense. Passengers (including a brother) and the family disputed that account, saying shots came from the side, no agent was in front of the vehicle in a way that justified the claim, and Salgado was not the intended target. The case remains under investigation; local prosecutors have pursued aspects of related ICE conduct.

In March 2025 on South Padre Island, Homeland Security Investigations agents assisting local police after a crash fatally shot 23-year-old U.S. citizen Ruben Ray Martinez. Officials said he accelerated and struck an agent; body-camera and other footage released later led critics and the passenger to dispute that he posed an immediate threat or hit anyone. A grand jury declined charges. Additional incidents include an ICE agent indicted in Harris County for allegedly striking a fleeing pedestrian with a vehicle, and attacks or shootings at or near detention facilities (including in Dallas).

Nationally, ICE-related deaths and use-of-force cases have drawn scrutiny, protests, and calls for body cameras, clearer identification, and independent review.

Trump on Deportations and Midterms

In a CBS 60 Minutes interview this past Sunday airing after the midterms, President Donald Trump said his administration’s deportation efforts may have been “too tough” and “hurt” Republicans at the polls. He credited himself with an “A-plus” for reducing illegal border crossings and removing people with criminal records, but acknowledged that removing workers who had jobs and no other offenses (landscaping, hotels, etc.) cost political support. He indicated openness to working with the new Democratic majorities in Congress on some form of immigration accommodation for long-term residents without criminal records, while maintaining a focus on “the worst of the worst.” Immigration ranked behind the economy and democracy as a midterm voter priority in exit polling; Latino shifts in states including Texas contributed to Democratic gains.

Risk of Public Alerts

Whatever one’s view of federal immigration enforcement, publicly broadcasting the real-time locations of ICE agents on social media can tip off intended subjects, allow them to flee or prepare, and raise the chance of confrontation. Vehicle pursuits and resistance during stops have already produced fatal outcomes and disputed accounts in Texas. Such posts can also complicate operations for agents and create safety issues for bystanders, store employees, and the public. Law enforcement agencies generally treat the operational details of active enforcement as sensitive for these reasons.

We attempted to contact Connecion Hispana San Angelo via phone and we personally went to the publication's offices for comment. No one answered our multiple phone calls and no one came to the publication's published office door when we knocked. The district manager at Allsup's hasn't call us back, either.

Speculation is that illegal aliens congregate during the morning at the Allsup's to get picked up for day jobs by local business owners. We could not confirm this either.