MCLENNAN COUNTY, Texas (KXXV) — The Texas Department of Public Safety has arrested more than 7,200 criminal undocumented immigrants with active felony warrants as of April 4th, 2026.
- Texas DPS signed an agreement to work with ICE in October 2025 and has since identified more than 7,200 criminal undocumented immigrants with active felony warrants.
- Eduardo Mendoza-De Anda, an undocumented Waco man, is currently held in McLennan County Jail on a felony evading arrest charge following a joint DPS-ICE operation.
- Criminologist Dr. Alex Del Carmen said ICE can legally enter a home with consent, with a court-signed warrant, or while pursuing a fleeing suspect.
- Texas DPS was contacted for a statement on the case but had not responded as of publication.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Since October, The Texas Department of Public Safety has identified more than 7,200 criminal undocumented immigrants with active felony warrants since January 2021 and who also have an active felony warrant that was active as of April 4, 2026.
The numbers, current as of April 4, 2026, including Waco, where one woman described the arrest of her partner by DPS and ICE agents.
Maria Ramirez said her partner, Eduardo Mendoza-Deanda, is an undocumented Waco man currently held in McLennan County Jail on a felony evading arrest charge.
According to a police report, a state trooper was working a joint operation with ICE in Waco when agents noticed Mendoza-Deanda leave his home. When DPS attempted to pull him over for illegal window tint, he drove to his brother's house and ran inside.
DPS released the following statement, "Refusing to stop, the driver led the Trooper on a short vehicle pursuit and subsequent foot chase into a residence near Meadowbrook Street and Robinson Drive. The foot chase into the residence prompted responding officers to draw their duty weapons in the event it became necessary – this is standard practice."
"Ramirez recounted what Deanda's family told her happened when ICE entered the home.
"They forcefully came in, with guns in hand, they said, they were yelling and we told him 'Eduardo they're looking for you', and he came out, they knocked him to the ground, and they took him," Ramirez said.
The Department of Public Safety commented saying, "Shortly after entering the residence, officers located the driver, Eduardo Mendoza Deanda, 35, inside the home. He was taken into custody without incident— to be very clear, no weapons were discharged, and no one was injured. Mendoza Deanda was booked into the McLennan Co. Jail for felony evading arrest with a motor vehicle."
Ramirez said Mendoza-Deanda described the encounter with one of the ICE officers.
"He told me, 'one of the ICE officers took a picture with me and he laughed and said 'I've got you now, you criminal,'" Ramirez said.
To understand the legal boundaries of how ICE and DPS can operate together under the agreement, I spoke with criminologist Dr. Alex Del Carmen. He said there are 3 ways ICE can legally enter a home: with consent, with a search or arrest warrant signed by a court judge, or in an emergency situation — such as while pursuing a fleeing suspect.
"They may enter that home if there are circumstances out of the ordinary such as they are chasing a fleeing suspect, and that suspect goes into property, they would follow that individual into the property because that individual may pose an imminent danger to someone else," Del Carmen said.
Ramirez acknowledges Mendoza-Deanda is undocumented but takes issue with how the arrest was handled.
"The people that come across illegally are just trying more than anything, to survive because over in Mexico, the situation is worse," Ramirez said.
Ramirez also explained her interaction with ICE when she arrived, "he told me, 'don't resist, because I can arrest you too', and I told him, 'If you think you can, then I'll give you my hands, and you can take me', and he answered back with a laugh, and said, 'I don't have to give you an explanation, all I'm going to tell you is Eduardo is a criminal'" she said.
Mendoza-De Anda has previously been deported. Ramirez said during the encounter, ICE did not provide any explanation for the arrest beyond calling them criminals. Del Carmen said agents are not legally required to provide that information.
According to the arrest report, marijuana was also found.
Texas DPS responded after the story aired and changes were made to the article to reflect their statement.
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