Latest news with #TexasGuard
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott orders National Guard to immigration protests
Texas is following President Donald Trump's lead, and will deploy the National Guard in preparation for planned protests in the state as demonstrations against immigration raids spread throughout the country in solidarity with Los Angeles. Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican and ally of Trump, said the evening of June 10 he would send the Guard members to locations across the state to "ensure peace & order." "Peaceful protest is legal. Harming a person or property is illegal & will lead to arrest," he said in a post to X. "@TexasGuard will use every tool & strategy to help law enforcement maintain order." Immigration and Customs Enforcement is carrying out a directive from Trump to find immigrants living in the United States without legal status. Protests have sprung up against the sweeps the agency is carrying out in various neighborhoods. In Los Angeles, where protests continued for the last five days, Trump sent National Guard members and U.S. Marines despite the objections of Gov. Gavin Newsom, sparking a showdown between the federal government and state authorities. Abbott's decision comes after protesters in Austin clashed with police on June 9. Police fired less-lethal munitions and detained several people accused of throwing rocks at officers and graffitiing a federal building, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said at a news conference. One person was arrested in Dallas after police declared a demonstration unlawful and a firework exploded near police, according to CBS News Texas. Demonstrators in Austin earlier this week began marching peacefully, but police intervened and made eight arrests after some of the protesters graffitied state and federal buildings and others threw "very large rocks" at officers, Davis said. Officers used pepper balls – projectiles that contain a chemical akin to pepper spray – and tear gas to quell the crowd, she said. Two of the people arrested face criminal mischief charges for spray painting the buildings, she said. Other charges include harassment of a public servant and failure to obey a lawful order to disperse. Those arrested ranged in age from 21 to 37. "Don't mess with Texas law enforcement," Abbott said on social media in response to the arrests. Davis said four officers were injured in the scuffle and were treated and released from hospitals. Three were injured by rocks thrown by protesters and one sustained a shoulder injury during an arrest, during which a protester also spit in his eye, Davis said. "These were very large rocks, these were no small pebbles," she said. Davis said officers are preparing for additional demonstrations in Austin, including on June 14. Demonstrations against ICE raids and in solidarity with Los Angeles protesters have sprung up in major cities all around the United States in recent days. Local news outlets and police have reported protests in San Francisco, New York, Washington, Boston, Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta and more. The protests have remained largely peaceful but in some cases turned into clashes with police and led to arrests. In New York City, 86 people were taken into custody on June 10 as hundreds rallied near the city's main immigration court, the New York Police Department said. The day before, more than 30 were arrested ABC 7 reported. Among those were about two dozen arrested from the lobby of Trump Tower, the outlet reported. Some of the nationwide protests were launched by union members in response to the arrest of David Huerta, president of the Service Employees International Union California (SEIU), in Los Angeles on June 6. More than 200 union members and supporters in Boston gathered outside City Hall on June 9, NPR affiliate WBUR reported. In Washington, D.C., hundreds gathered outside the Department of Justice and FBI buildings and marched through the city protesting both ICE raids and Huerta's arrest, according to WUSA9. While the anti-ICE protests continue, "No Kings Day" protests are planned nationwide on June 14, the day Trump will hold a military parade in Washington, D.C., and also celebrate his 79th birthday. Contributing: Christopher Cann, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Greg Abbott orders National Guard to Texas immigration protests
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
National Guard on ‘standby' in Texas ahead of protests over ICE raids
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he will deploy the National Guard 'to ensure peace and order' as huge protests over ICE raids in Los Angeles spread to major cities across the United States. 'Peaceful protest is legal,' the Republican wrote on X late Tuesday night. 'Harming a person or property is illegal & will lead to arrest. @TexasGuard will use every tool & strategy to help law enforcement maintain order.' Abbott added that soldiers are already 'on standby' in San Antonio, where demonstrators on Wednesday are expected to gather in solidarity with Los Angeles protestors, thousands of whom have taken to the streets in recent days to condemn President Trump's immigration policies. Rallies have also been planned nationwide as part of the 'No Kings' event, and will run counter to Trump's multimillion-dollar military parade in Washington, D.C. on Saturday. In total, millions of people are expected to protest in more than 1,500 cities across all 50 states and commonwealths, its organizers have said. Abbott's move to mobilize the troops follows Trump decision to deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles, where a weekend of mostly peaceful demonstrations escalated to include vandalism and violence. On Tuesday, most of downtown Los Angeles was placed under a curfew, with people inside the zone ordered to remain indoors between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the curfew 'applies to everyone—limited exceptions, including for emergency and medical personnel, residents, workers and credentialed media.' In addition to the 2,000 National Guard troops deployed over the weekend, without the request or approval of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Trump on Tuesday sent around 700 active-duty Marines to the city to quell demonstrations. In response, Newsom filed a lawsuit against the federal government, claiming Trump 'unlawfully bypassed' his authority and state leadership when he sent his soldiers to the nation's second-largest city. A federal judge on Tuesday denied the governor's request for a temporary order blocking the troops' deployment. Demonstrations sparked by surprise ICE raids have cropped up across the nation, including in Austin, where police used chemical irritants to disperse several hundred demonstrators. In New York, police said they took 86 people into custody during protests in lower Manhattan Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the vast majority of demonstrators were peaceful. Protests have also erupted in Chicago, Seattle and Dallas as well. With News Wire Services
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott deploys National Guard across state ahead of anti-ICE protests
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has deployed National Guard troops across the state ahead of more anti-ICE protests. Abbott announced the move early Wednesday in a post on X as protests sprang up in parts of Texas and across the U.S. this week. "Texas National Guard will be deployed to locations across the state to ensure peace & order," Abbott wrote in the post. "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." The governor's press secretary, Andrew Mahaleris, told Fox News Digital in an emailed statement that troops would be sent to areas where mass protests are planned. Rodney King Riots Officer Says La Mayor Acted 'Too Late' As Anti-ice Violence Engulfs City "The State of Texas stands ready to deploy all necessary personnel and resources to uphold law and order across our state," Mahaleris said. "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." Read On The Fox News App San Antonio Police Department Assistant Chief Jesse Salame told Woai-tv that Chief William McManus confirmed the deployment of National Guard troops to the city, though he added that "we don't have any additional details about their deployment." Major demonstrations popped up in cities across Texas this week on the heels of violent riots in Los Angeles to protest federal immigration raids. In Austin, four police officers were injured trying to disperse a crowd of several hundred demonstrators that moved between the state Capitol and a federal building that houses an ICE office on Monday night. Austin police used pepper spray balls and state police used tear gas when demonstrators began trying to deface the federal building with spray paint. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said three officers were injured when individuals began hurling "very large" rocks, while a fourth suffered a shoulder injury during an arrest. "We support peaceful protest," Davis said. "When that protest turns violent, when it turns to throwing rocks and bottles ... that will not be tolerated. Arrests will be made." Austin police arrested eight people, and state police arrested five more. Trump Takes Action Against 'Orchestrated Attack' On Law Enforcement By Deploying Marines To La: Assemblyman In Dallas, hundreds of protesters gathered near the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge on Monday night. The situation was tense at times, with people throwing water bottles, fireworks and rocks at police officers, FOX4 Dallas reported. No officers were injured during the protest. Police arrested one individual, identified as 27-year-old Gerardo Velasquez Jr., who was charged with assault of a peace officer and attempt to take a weapon from an officer. More protests were planned in Dallas and Austin for Saturday, while a demonstration was planned in San Antonio for Wednesday evening. The Associated Press contributed to this article source: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott deploys National Guard across state ahead of anti-ICE protests
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to deploy National Guard across the state in response to protests
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday that he'll deploy the National Guard to locations across the state 'to ensure peace and order' ahead of a planned protest in San Antonio. '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,' he wrote on X late Tuesday evening local time. A curfew was imposed in Los Angeles on Tuesday night after days of unrest there following ICE raids last week. Solidarity protests have taken place across the country in the last two days, including in Texas. Spectrum News 1 reported that protesters held a peaceful demonstration in downtown San Antonio on Sunday. This demonstration followed the recent ICE arrests of immigrants who showed up for appearances in the San Antonio Immigration Court. The city is bracing for more demonstrations on Wednesday. Mayor Ron Nirenberg and local police will hold a news conference today to discuss the city's plan for the protests. A 'No Kings Day' protest decrying the Trump administration's policies is planned for Saturday, President Donald Trump's birthday, in downtown San Antonio. Several groups will organize it: the 50501 Movement, the Bexar County Democratic Party, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, Indivisible and Women's March. Similar 'No Kings Day' protests are planned across the country. In Austin, 500 people gathered in front of the state's Capitol on Monday evening to denounce Trump's immigration policies in solidarity with the L.A. protesters. Local and state authorities used pepper spray and flash-bang grenades on protesters in that incident, and more than a dozen people were arrested, Abbott said. The Los Angeles raids led to fallout over the weekend when Trump federalized and brought in the state's National Guard against Gov. Gavin Newsom's wishes. The two politicians locked horns over the move, with Newsom saying it needlessly inflamed tensions between protesters and law enforcement. California's attorney general filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging Trump's deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles, saying the takeover exceeds his authority. When asked about the ICE raids and the intense federal response to protests, Trump said from the Oval Office on Tuesday, 'This is the first, perhaps of many.' 'We didn't attack this one very strongly. You'd have them all over the country. I can inform the rest of the country that when they do it, if they do it, they're going to be met with equal or greater force than we met right here. We did a great job,' he said. 'We stopped a disaster,' Trump added, describing protesters as 'very dangerous people' who were 'met with heavy force, and they folded.' This article was originally published on
USA Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- USA Today
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott orders National Guard to immigration protests
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott orders National Guard to immigration protests Show Caption Hide Caption Protesters defy curfew order from LA mayor, police make mass arrests In an effort to curb vandalism and looting, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced a curfew for parts of downtown Los Angeles. Texas is following President Donald Trump's lead, and will deploy the National Guard in preparation for planned protests in the state as demonstrations against immigration raids spread throughout the country in solidarity with Los Angeles. Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican and ally of Trump, said the evening of June 10 he would send the Guard members to locations across the state to "ensure peace & order." "Peaceful protest is legal. Harming a person or property is illegal & will lead to arrest," he said in a post to X. "@TexasGuard will use every tool & strategy to help law enforcement maintain order." Immigration and Customs Enforcement is carrying out a directive from Trump to find immigrants living in the United States without legal status. Protests have sprung up against the sweeps the agency is carrying out in various neighborhoods. In Los Angeles, where protests continued for the last five days, Trump sent National Guard members and U.S. Marines despite the objections of Gov. Gavin Newsom, sparking a showdown between the federal government and state authorities. Abbott's decision comes after protesters in Austin clashed with police on June 9. Police fired less-lethal munitions and detained several people accused of throwing rocks at officers and graffitiing a federal building, local news outlet the Austin-American Statesman reported.
