Gov. Greg Abbott deploys Texas National Guard to San Antonio ahead of this week’s protests

Gov. Greg Abbott has deployed the Texas National Guard to San Antonio ahead of this week’s protests against ICE and the Trump administration.

San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) Chief William McManus was able to confirm the presence of National Guard troops in the Alamo City, assistant chief Jesse Salame told the Express-News. However, it’s still unclear how many troops have been deployed to the area.

In a Tuesday evening tweet, Abbott said that personnel “will be deployed to locations across the state to ensure peace & order.”

The troops arrive in the Alamo City ahead of two protests scheduled for this week. One will be held Wednesday at 7 p.m. at City Hall to demonstrate against local and national enforcement actions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Another, part of a national “No Kings” demonstration carried out in dozens of cities, will be held Saturday at 5 p.m. at Travis Park.

“We are reaffirming our commitment to non-violence and civil expression in the face of Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision to deploy the Texas National Guard to San Antonio,” Bexar County Democrats, one of the organizing groups behind Saturday’s protest, said in a joint statement with North East Bexar County Democrats.

“Deploying the National Guard in response to a peaceful protest is not only unnecessary, it’s dangerous,” the groups continued. “We are gathering to stand for freedom and justice. We condemn violence. The governor’s decision to deploy the military into this environment invites and encourages violence.”

Saturday’s protest is co-organized by groups including the 50501 movement, Women’s March San Antonio, the Party for Socialism and Liberation and San Antonio Indivisible.

Abbott’s press secretary released a statement reaffirming the governor’s assertion that peaceful protest is legal but the “lawlessness” seen at recent Los Angeles protests won’t be tolerated in the Lone Star State.

“The State of Texas stands ready to deploy all necessary personnel and resources to uphold law and order across our state,” Abbott’s press secretary said in a statement to CBS News. “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.”

News of the deployment sent shockwaves through San Antonio’s social media ecosystem Tuesday night, where many accused Abbott of being a sore loser over Saturday’s mayoral election. The deployment comes days after progressive Gina Ortiz Jones defeated Rolando Pablos, a conservative backed by an Abbott-aligned PAC that poured some $1.5 million into the race.

Other online detractors noted his choice of deployment to one of the state’s most heavily Latino big cities, arguing that the arrest of protesters potentially would serve a dual purpose of rounding up migrants for deportation and enable racial profiling.

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This article appears in May 29 – Jun 11, 2025.