False posts about ICE in Fort Worth prompt City Council member’s Facebook letter
In a letter posted to Facebook, Fort Worth city council member Carlos Flores warns residents not to believe everything they see online — particularly about immigration enforcement.
Flores’ letter came in response to a series of June 9 social media posts speculating that a large gathering of law enforcement near the intersection of Jacksboro Highway and Fielder Street was an immigration raid by agents from a unit of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Fort Worth police and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were serving an arrest warrant, and a man barricaded himself in a house, said Fort Worth police spokesperson Officer Cynthia Wood in an email to the Star-Telegram.
“SWAT was called out, and he eventually exited the house and was arrested,” Wood said, emphasizing that Fort Worth police were there to help with the barricaded suspect.
Representatives for the ATF confirmed they conducted an operation in the area, but declined to offer any specifics, citing an ongoing investigation.
“While some social media posts about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) may be well-intended, they often lack understanding and responsibility,” Flores said in his letter.
He went on to say these posts often stoke fear, while some are used to call for resistance to law enforcement, which ultimately ends up with people getting into trouble with the law.
“The focus of my letter was to try and reduce fear in the community,” Flores said in a phone call with the Star-Telegram.
Flores said the posts he saw on Facebook were “speculative at best,” making inaccurate guesses about the involvement of ICE agents at a time when there’s already a lot of fear in Fort Worth’s Hispanic community.
Flores’ district, which includes neighborhoods like Diamond Hill and the north side, has some of the largest concentrations of Hispanic residents in Fort Worth.
Social media posts fan fear, Fort Worth council member says
The Facebook posts Flores referred to follow a January 2025 social media post by a former Fort Worth school district substitute teacher appearing to urge immigration officials to investigate North Side High School and arrest students.
Such social media posts add to community concerns and generate needless fear, Flores said.
He urged residents to reach out to his office or to members of the Fort Worth Police Department to get accurate information, rather than relying solely on social media posts.
He also advised residents who have concerns about their immigration status to reach out to the consulate of their country of origin. He cited the Mexican consulate specifically, which is near the intersection of Interstate 35E and Mockingbird Lane in Dallas.
“I want to make sure people understand that there are accurate ways to get information,” Flores said. “I don’t want residents in our community to be fearful of what’s going on.”
Fort Worth police don’t enforce federal immigration law, however, Texas Senate Bill 4 made it a state crime to cross the Texas-Mexico border between points of entry.
This raised concerns that police would get more involved in immigration enforcement, however, former Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes assured residents his department’s priorities wouldn’t change.
Staff writer Shambhavi Rimal contributed to this report.
This story was originally published June 10, 2025 at 4:24 PM.
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