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Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced Thursday the deployment of more than 5,000 Texas National Guard troops and over 2,000 state police officers to support local law enforcement amid escalating protests over President Donald Trump’s immigration raids. 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 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.
“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,” Abbott said in a statement. “Anyone engaging in acts of violence or damaging property will be arrested and held accountable to the full extent of the law.”
Abbott’s decision 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. Mayors in San Antonio and Austin have said they were not consulted and did not request National Guard support.
Abbott, a Republican who has served as governor since 2014, has frequently used the National Guard to bolster immigration enforcement. Since 2021, Texas Guard troops have been a key part of Operation Lone Star, Abbott’s 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.
This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
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