DILLEY, Texas – Two protesters were arrested and other protesters came into contact with tear gas Wednesday outside a Dilley detention facility where a 5-year-old Ecuadorian boy and his father are being held.
Protesters chanted multiple different phrases in front of U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents and Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers.
Some of the protesters’ phrases included “I believe that we will win,” “The people united will never be divided,” “Bring them home” and “Free the children.”
As the protest continued just before 2:30 p.m., KSAT photojournalist Sal Salazar’s camera was rolling as additional Texas DPS troopers arrived. Some of them were wearing riot gear, which included helmet gear, shields and batons.
The confrontation can be seen in the below video player.
Moments later, at least two protesters were detained by troopers.
Robert David Padgett and Gavin Austin Pope were taken into custody and are being held at the Frio County jail.
Several other protesters were also sprayed with tear gas by troopers, which prompted treatment on the scene.
KSAT reporter Erica Hernandez described what she saw Wednesday afternoon with anchors Myra Arthur and Ernie Zuniga. Watch Hernandez’s report in the below video player.
KSAT reached out to Gov. Greg Abbott, who referred the inquiry to DPS.
In a Wednesday evening statement, DPS told KSAT its troopers were present near the facility “at the request of the City of Dilley.”
“During today’s response, after dispersal orders were given, approximately 150 demonstrators refused to leave and began to breach the established protest barrier and spit on officers,” DPS’ statement said, in part. “Despite continued orders to disperse, the group remained and DPS took less-lethal action, deploying pepper ball grenades and pepper ball projectiles to ensure officer safety and maintain order. DPS personnel arrested two individuals on various charges, including resisting arrest and interfering with public duties.”
Some Texas Republican lawmakers also released their own statements to KSAT on Wednesday.
In his statement before the protest, U.S. Senator John Cornyn said he believes people detained in the facility “are treated humanely.”
“But, like I said, we can always do better,” Cornyn said, in part.
Fellow U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz said she supports “law enforcement officers who enforce rules” but also hopes they find “common sense solutions” to “support immigrant workers who want to pursue the American Dream.”
U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales has yet to respond to KSAT’s inquiry.
Earlier Wednesday, Rep. Joaquin Castro met with 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Alexander.
Ramos and Alexander were detained last week in Minnesota in an incident that further inflamed divisions on immigration under the Trump administration.
More coverage of this story on KSAT: