Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he will deploy the National Guard to the streets in anticipation of protests across different cities this week, vowing to "ensure peace and order."
Abbott said in a statement that while "peaceful protests are part of the fabric of our nation," 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," adds a passage of the statement reported by ABC News.
The warning comes as protests against the Trump administration's immigration enforcement tactics in Los Angeles have seen some acts of violence, including clashes with law enforcement and the burning of cars, particularly some self-driving ones operated by Waymo.
The Trump administration has deployed thousands of National Guard troops to Los Angeles against the wishes of Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass, both Democrats, and has also sent 700 Marines there. Newsom said the decision is designed to fan "the flames even harder."
Bass did implement a curfew in downtown Los Angeles on Friday and after five nights of protests, resulting in dozens of arrests.
Demonstrations, however, have spread across the U.S. CBS News detailed that some have taken place in Austin, Washington D.C. and San Francisco this week, and more are expected in the coming days. In fact, activists are planning larger protests on Saturday to coincide with President Donald Trump's military parade in Washington. Events are set to be called "No Kings."
The Trump administration anticipated it will keep carrying out its operations, with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem saying that "ICE will continue to enforce the law."
The number of migrants at an ICE detention in the U.S. currently stands at 51,302, 30% more than when Trump took office in late January 2025, according to Noticias Telemundo. That number, however, is expected to increase as ICE seeks to ramp up operations.
Of those detained by ICE, 56% (28,864) have a criminal record, which means that they have either been convicted of a crime or have pending criminal charges. The remainder (22,438) have no criminal record, the outlet noted.
Ramped up operations have been celebrated by the agency and Trump loyalists. The increase follows a new tactic adopted by the group: arresting people who had been enrolled in ICE's Alternative to Detention (ATD) program. Under the program, ICE releases undocumented immigrants who are deemed not to be threats to public safety and then keeps track of them through ankle monitors, smartphone apps or other geolocating programs, along with periodic check-ins at ICE facilities, according to NBC News. However, now they are being targeted.
The Guardian also reported that on Saturday, senior ICE officials urged officers to "turn the creative knob up to 11" when it comes to enforcement, including by arresting undocumented people whom officials may happen to encounter, while serving arrest warrants for others.
The recent arrests also come amid pressures from the White House to meet daily quotas. Last month, White House deputy chief of staff for policy, Stephen Miller, threatened in a meeting with ICE leadership to fire senior officials if the agency did not start making 3,000 arrests per day, according to NBC News. Miller also urged officials to go to "Home Depot" or "7-Eleven" to find potential migrants and arrest them.
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