As cities across the country prepare for protests against enforcement of federal immigration law, city officials in Texas are warning residents to remain peaceful.
Gov. Greg Abbott has said he will deploy the Texas National Guard to various locations around the state ahead of the protests, with Austin and San Antonio officials confirming they had been notified that troops would be deployed to their cities. Under both the Texas Constitution and federal law, governors have broad authority to activate their state’s National Guard in response to emergencies, including civil unrest.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson, in a statement to KXAN, confirmed the guard would be available to assist the Texas Department of Public Safety on Saturday if necessary:
The City of Austin will continue to protect the right of people to peacefully assemble. We will continue to recognize the humanity and value of our immigrant community. I’m 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 [are] wrong. You are damaging your city.
Much of what we see out of Washington is to create fear and chaos—we should not play into these politics of fear. 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.
“The reality is that we should not feed into this politics of fear and pain and risk doing harm to those we want to help,” he added. “We must continue to assert our first amendment rights to peacefully assemble without creating negative consequences for real people already living in fear.”
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg posted a statement on X calling for protests to remain peaceful:
Your feelings of anger and frustration resulting from the federal government’s crude interpretations of immigration law and cruel approach to human rights are more than justified. I empathize with the fear and fatigue this federal administration is causing within the San Antonio community, but we should heed the Chief’s calls to remain peaceful should you choose to demonstrate this weekend. I also want to offer our full faith and support to both the San Antonio Police Department and the greater San Antonio community to maintain peace and order. We are confident that San Antonio knows how to do this right.
“The reports of the Governor deploying the National Guard to our community underscore the need for us to remain peaceful and safe this weekend,” Nirenberg added. “Destruction is never appropriate, nor will it be tolerated. Exercise your right to free speech, but we urge you to keep it peaceful and lawful. Please stay safe this weekend, San Antonio.”
In North Texas, officials in Dallas and the Fort Worth area are also reminding residents to protest in a peaceful and orderly fashion.
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson told Texas Scorecard, “The City of Dallas and the Dallas Police Department are committed to public safety as our top priority. This includes maintaining law and order, enforcing the law, and protecting Dallas’s citizens.”
Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare told Texas Scorecard, “Peaceful demonstrations are a constitutional right. But the chaos, violence, rioting and lawlessness demonstrated in Los Angeles have no place in a civilized society and will not be tolerated in Tarrant County. I have full confidence in the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office and all our police departments to maintain law and order and ensure the public’s safety. Tarrant County has earned its reputation as a safe and peaceful place to live — a key reason why so many are leaving places like California to make their home here. We intend to keep it that way.”
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker did not return a request for comment, but deferred to the Fort Worth Police Department. A spokesperson told Texas Scorecard, “We can share with you that the Fort Worth Police Department is working closely with our community and our Intelligence Fusion Center to monitor all activity during any peaceful protests that may take place in the City of Fort Worth.”
In the Houston area, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook that the department was working with local partners to “ensure public safety during multiple public demonstrations planned for Saturday.”
“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,” said Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. “At the same time, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office stands ready to react swiftly and effectively to any actions that threaten public safety or property. We respect people’s right to peacefully demonstrate, but we have zero tolerance for those who would resort to violence or destruction.”
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s office posted on X, “Harris County remains fully committed to the safety and constitutional rights of all residents. I have full confidence in our local law enforcement agencies, which are fully equipped and prepared to safeguard peaceful demonstrations, while ensuring the well being of all involved. These agencies bring decades of institutional expertise in managing lawful, large-scale gatherings where our residents can express their constitutional rights to peacefully assemble.”
Hidalgo reportedly rejected an offer of federal assistance from Republican U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt of Houston.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire called for “peaceful demonstrations” during Wednesday’s city council meeting.
