US: Texas National Guard 'on standby' ahead of immigration raid protests

Houston, June 12
Texas National Guard troops are "on standby" in areas across the state where protests are expected against the Trump administration's ongoing immigration raids, a spokesperson for Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott has said.

"Texas will not tolerate the lawlessness we have seen in Los Angeles," Abbott's spokesperson, Andrew Mahaleris, said in a statement on Wednesday (local time). "Anyone engaging in acts of violence or damaging property will be swiftly held accountable to the full extent of the law."

The advocacy group Immigrant Families and Students in the Fight, known as FIEL, is organising a "Chant Down the Walls" protest in Houston on Friday. Additionally, "No Kings" protests are scheduled for Saturday in more than two dozen Texas cities, including Houston, Austin, Lubbock, and Longview, according to a report by the Texas Tribune.

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson voiced his support for peaceful demonstrations but warned against violence, reports Xinhua news agency.

"I am supportive of people exercising their right to engage in peaceful protest against politics and policies that they disagree with. However, destructive actions or efforts to hurt police is wrong," Watson said in a statement.

"Much of what we see out of Washington is to create fear and chaos -- we should not play into these politics of fear," he added. "Adding to the chaos -- through destruction of property, hurting other people, including police officers, or otherwise -- adds to the problems for those people being targeted while empowering those in Washington who want more pain and chaos."

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez also emphasised the importance of peaceful demonstrations. "Harris County has a long history of people exercising their right to protest peacefully while respecting opposing viewpoints, and I fully expect Saturday's demonstrations to continue that legacy," Gonzalez said. Much of Houston falls within Harris County.

In San Antonio, Police Chief William McManus confirmed that National Guard personnel have been sent to the city. However, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, a Democrat, said he had not been consulted about the deployment.

"But I have full faith and confidence in our community to exercise their First Amendment rights peacefully," Nirenberg said.

Protests against the immigration raids began last week in Los Angeles and have since spread nationwide.

On Monday, California sued the Trump administration after President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of 2,000 California National Guard troops to Los Angeles -- without the state's permission -- in response to the protests.