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Crowds of hundreds gathered Sunday in Houston and San Antonio in protest of federal authorities’ redoubled efforts to detain and deport undocumented immigrants.
The protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Texas occurred after days of unrest in California, where demonstrators protesting immigration crackdowns in that state clashed with authorities. President Donald Trump responded by dispatching National Guard Troops to quell demonstrations in Los Angeles and vowing to “have troops everywhere” should protests turn violent.
Gov. Greg Abbott praised Trump’s response, writing on social media that “an organized assault has been waged against federal law enforcement officials.”
“It's time to put an end to it, and allow fed officials to fully enforce the laws of the United States,” Abbott wrote Sunday.
The protests in Texas appeared to be peaceful. Images posted on social media and local news coverage showed people gathering, sharing snacks and marching down two of the state’s largest cities.
Across the country, demonstrators have repeatedly hit the streets since Trump returned to office with a promise to deport undocumented immigrants en masse.
However, the latest protests followed what appears to be a new strategy from the Trump administration to target workplaces as pressure mounts on federal law enforcement to further escalate their efforts and deliver on the president’s campaign trail promises.
In recent weeks, federal immigration authorities have also arrested people at courthouses and while conducting wellness checks on children who arrived in the country alone.
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