5 days ago
'Peace & order': Greg Abbott deploys National Guard to Texas cities for anti-ICE protests
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has confirmed he is deploying the National Guard to cities throughout the state in anticipation of protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson told the American-Statesman on Wednesday that the city has been notified the Texas National Guard "will be prepared to assist the Texas Department of Public Safety if deemed necessary" for planned protests this weekend.
The San Antonio Police Department confirmed to local news outlet KTSA that guard members had arrived in San Antonio Tuesday night, ahead of planned protests in the downtown area on Wednesday and in Travis Park on Saturday.
Several Texas cities are expected to hold rallies for "No Kings Day of Mobilizations" on Saturday, June 14. The protests are organized by "50501," a grassroots movement enabling independent organization across the country, My San Antonio reports. "No Kings Day" has been intentionally planned for the same day as the Trump administration's military parade in D.C., which also coincides with Trump's birthday.
Abbott gave the following statement to KTSA:
The State of Texas stands ready to deploy all necessary personnel and resources to uphold law and order across our state. Texas National Guard soldiers are on standby in areas where mass demonstrations are planned in case they are needed. Peaceful protests are part of the fabric of our nation, but Texas will not tolerate the lawlessness we have seen in Los Angeles. Anyone engaging in acts of violence or damaging property will be swiftly held accountable to the full extent of the law.
Abbott provided further clarification in a social media post on Tuesday.
"Texas National Guard will be deployed to locations across the state to ensure peace & order," Abbott wrote. "Peaceful protest is legal. Harming a person or property is illegal & will lead to arrest. @TexasGuard will use every tool & strategy to help law enforcement maintain order."
Abbott had not disclosed further details as of Wednesday morning, including which other cities the National Guard may be deployed to.
News of the National Guard's deployment comes after hundreds of protesters assembled at the Texas Capitol in Austin Monday to show support for those protesting ICE actions in Los Angeles. Similar demonstrations were held in downtown Dallas that same evening, and protests also occurred in San Antonio and Houston over the weekend.
See videos, images of protesters holding anti-ICE rallies across Texas.
Tensions in Los Angeles escalated after an ICE raid on June 6 led to the arrest of several individuals. The operation sparked protests that escalated over the weekend, prompting President Donald Trump to deploy 2,000 National Guard troops to the city.
On June 9, California filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the deployment of the National Guard without prior consultation with Governor Gavin Newsom. The governor criticized the decision in a social media post, calling it "illegal and immoral." In another post that morning, Newsom accused Trump of "illegally" federalizing the Guard and declared, "We're suing him."
— KTSA contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas anti-ICE protests: Gov. Greg Abbott deploys National Guard
