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By Gabe Whisnant and Sonam Sheth
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Texas Governor Greg Abbott said Thursday that he will deploy more than 5,000 Texas National Guard troops to help respond to protests in his state against President Donald Trump and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The Context
Trump's immigration crackdown has drawn scrutiny since he took office because of the tactics ICE officers have used to detain and deport thousands of people without legal status.
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In addition to undocumented migrants, the raids have at times swept up people who are legally permitted to be in the United States and those who are pursuing legal pathways to citizenship and permanent residency. The Trump administration has also publicly acknowledged that some of the people who were deported were removed from the country by mistake.
Protests against the president's policies kicked into high gear over the weekend, when ICE raided several neighborhoods in Los Angeles with high immigrant populations and labor-intensive industries. The raids sparked anti-ICE demonstrations across the city and, while most of them have been peaceful, some have devolved into violence, with demonstrators throwing water bottles, Molotov cocktails, cement and other materials at law enforcement.
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What To Know
In addition to the National Guard, Abbott will send in more than 2,000 state police officers to assist local law enforcement with managing the protests, which are part of nationwide "No Kings" demonstrations against the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.
The vast majority of the "No Kings" protests are slated to take place on Saturday, June 14, when Trump will attend a military parade in Washington, D.C. Saturday is Flag Day and the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. It is also Trump's 79th birthday.
While Abbott did not specify deployment locations, National Guard personnel were seen Wednesday night at a demonstration near the Alamo in downtown San Antonio. That protest drew hundreds of people but remained peaceful.
More protests are scheduled for Saturday in San Antonio and other major cities including Houston, Austin, and Dallas as part of the national "No Kings" movement.
Earlier demonstrations this week in Austin and Dallas saw brief confrontations between protesters and police, with officers using chemical irritants to disperse crowds and about a dozen individuals arrested.
Mayors in San Antonio and Austin have said they were not consulted and did not request National Guard support from Abbott.
The Texas governor's decision to deploy the National Guard highlights the contrast between his approach and that of California Governor Gavin Newsom, who has publicly opposed Trump's deployment of military personnel in Los Angeles. Newsom and California have sued the Trump administration and demanded the president rescind the National Guard and Marines who have been deployed and mobilized in response to the anti-ICE protests.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) chief has also said demonstrations in the area were "nowhere near" the level at which National Guard support would be needed.
Meanwhile, Abbott, a Republican who has served as governor since 2014, has frequently used the National Guard to bolster immigration enforcement. Texas National Guard troops have been a key part of Operation Lone Star, Abbott's 2021 initiative to curb illegal border crossings.
Under an agreement with the Trump administration finalized in February, Texas Guard troops were granted authority to arrest and detain individuals crossing into the U.S. illegally from Mexico.
Texas has also invested in a permanent Guard base near the border—an 80-acre facility that will accommodate up to 1,800 troops when construction is complete.
What People Are Saying
Abbott said in a statement: "Peaceful protests are part of the fabric of our nation, but Texas will not tolerate the lawlessness we have seen in Los Angeles in response to President Donald Trump's enforcement of immigration law. Anyone engaging in acts of violence or damaging property will be arrested and held accountable to the full extent of the law."
What Happens Next
Demonstrations against the Trump administration in Texas, California, New York and other states across the country are ongoing and will likely escalate heading into Saturday.
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