AUSTIN — Officers took Ramos into custody around 8:45 a.m. on Saturday. Kristen Dark, a spokeswoman for the Travis County Sheriff's Office, confirmed Ramos was booked into custody around 9:30 a.m. on Saturday.

The Texas Department of Public Safety stated Ramos was captured on camera taking construction barricades and sandbags to attempt to obstruct traffic. Ramos is 40 years old and is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.

Ramos denies any wrongdoing and will contest the charge. His attorney, Edmund Skip Davis, challenged the characterization of the event. Davis said he did not see any riots, but saw people chanting and protesting.

Ramos was released from custody during a news conference outside the county jail on Saturday. Addressing supporters, he led a chant. When we fight, "he said, to which those gathered replied," "we win!"

The arrest connects to the shooting of Wilber Rafael Garces Perez by a federal immigration officer in Austin on September 20, 2026. Garces Perez is Venezuelan. Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, an attorney for Garces Perez, stated he was an asylum seeker with a valid work permit.

Lincoln-Goldfinch stated Garces Perez was making a DoorDash delivery when ICE officers in an unmarked truck sideswiped his car twice. She stated Garces Perez was taken to a hospital and then released into ICE custody with a bullet still in his back. ICE and DHS stated Garces Perez was the subject of a targeted vehicle stop but have not provided further details on the shooting.

Why It Matters

The arrest of a city council candidate shows tensions surrounding immigration enforcement protests in Austin. Ramos ran for Austin City Council in 2022, securing a portion of the vote in District 1, a distant second to incumbent Lisa Harper-Madison. The probable cause affidavit cited by prosecutors estimated 150 attendees at the September 20 protest, with at least 20 individuals engaged in 'criminal acts' such as assault, obstructing a highway, and criminal mischief, though the document itself remains non-public.

Conflicting accounts surround the status of Wilber Rafael Garces Perez. Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, attorney for Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, stated he was an asylum seeker with a valid work permit, contradicting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which confirmed he entered the U.S. illegally and had a final order of removal. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, confirmed the man was in stable condition and 'in federal custody pending removal.' DHS said ICE is investigating the shooting with assistance from the FBI.

Timeline

Misael Ramos, a candidate for Austin City Council’s District 1, was arrested on September 26, 2026, by Texas Department of Public Safety officers on misdemeanor riot charges connected to his participation in a protest against ICE’s shooting of Wilber Rafael Garces Perez in North Austin on September. The Texas Department of Public Safety stated the charge stems from Ramos's actions during a protest on September 20, 2026. Misael Ramos was arrested Saturday morning on a misdemeanor charge of riot participation.

Misael Ramos was released from custody during a news conference outside the county jail on Saturday.

What's New

Ramos previously worked as a union organizer and was involved in the Advocates for Social Justice Reform coalition, which successfully lobbied for CAFA (Counsel at First Appearance) in Travis County to ensure legal representation for arrested individuals.

Ramos is employed by Indeed, a job search platform, and serves on the board of the Blackland Community Development Corporation, which operates 51 units of income-restricted housing in East Austin. Ramos served as President of the Rogers Washington-Holy Cross neighborhood, a historic African American district in East Austin, and led efforts to establish Austin’s Anti-Displacement Community Acquisition Program.