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 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.