AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday he has ordered the deployment of more than 5,000 Texas National Guard troops, along with more than 2,000 state police, to help local law enforcement manage protests against President Donald Trump and the ongoing federal immigration raids.
Abbott's announcement did not detail where the troops were sent, but some were seen at a protest Wednesday night in downtown San Antonio near the Alamo. That protest drew hundreds of demonstrators but did not erupt into violence.
More protests are planned on Saturday in San Antonio and across Texas in cities such as Houston, Austin and Dallas as part of the national “No Kings” movement.
Protests earlier this week in Austin and Dallas led to brief clashes with police who used chemical irritants to disperse the crowds. About a dozen were arrested.
“Peaceful protests are part of the fabric of our nation, but Texas will not tolerate the lawlessness we have seen in Los Angeles in response to President Donald Trump’s enforcement of immigration law,” Abbott said. “Anyone engaging in acts of violence or damaging property will be arrested and held accountable to the full extent of the law.”
The Republican Texas governor's move stands in sharp contrast to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, who has publicly clashed with Trump over his decision to deploy National Guard and Marine personnel in Los Angeles.
Mayors in San Antonio and Austin have said they did not ask for Abbott to mobilize the National Guard to their cities.
Abbott, who has been governor since 2014, has been aggressive in deploying the Guard in the past, particularly for immigration enforcement on the border.
Since 2021, the Texas Guard has played a prominent role in Abbott’s Operation Lone Star, and thousands of troops have been deployed to help clamp down on border crossings. An agreement with the Trump administration in February gave Texas National Guard soldiers the authority to arrest and detain people for entering the U.S. illegally from Mexico.
Texas also has established a permanent border base for Guard troops, an 80-acre (30-hectare) installation that will house up to 1,800 troops when completed.
FILE - Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks to reporters outside the West Wing of the White House, Feb. 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
Anti-ICE protesters march in downtown San Antonio, Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
CHICAGO (AP) — Naz Reid scored a season-high 33 points off the bench, Anthony Edwards added 23, and the Minnesota Timberwolves routed the Bulls 136-101 on Monday night after Chicago lost top scorers Coby White and Josh Giddey to injuries.
Julius Randle had 17 points as Minnesota pulled away in the third quarter in the opener of a four-game trip. Donte DiVincenzo and Bones Hyland scored 12 each as Minnesota shot 53.7% after a cold start.
Nikola Vucevic led Chicago with 23 points, but the depleted Bulls couldn't keep pace and lost a second straight following a five-game winning streak that had lifted them back to .500. Chicago shot just 40.9%, and committed 16 turnovers compared to three by Minnesota.
White, Chicago’s leading scorer, exited with a right calf strain in the first quarter.
Giddey, Chicago’s second-leading scorer, walked off the court gingerly with an apparent left hamstring injury in the first minute of the second half after scoring 11 points.
White, who entered averaging 20.5 points, missed the first 11 games this season with similar calf injury. Giddey entered averaging 19.5 points, 9.2 assists and 9.1 rebounds. He is second in the NBA with seven triple-doubles.
Before the game, Bulls coach Billy Donovan said Zach Collins will probably miss several games with a sprained right big toe.
Minnesota’s Mike Conley played in his 1,200th game.
The Timberwolves took charge in the third quarter after the Bulls tied it at 55 in the opening minute of the period. Minnesota outscored Chicago 40-28 in the frame and took a 95-78 lead into the fourth.
The Timberwolves led 55-50 at the half after trailing by as much as nine midway through the second quarter. Edwards led the comeback, scoring his first 11 points consecutively on three 3’s and a pair of free throws.
Timberwolves: At Atlanta on Wednesday night.
Bulls: Host New Orleans on Wednesday night.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
Minnesota Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert (27) dunks during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
Chicago Bulls' Nikola Vucevic (9) battles Minnesota Timberwolves' Naz Reid (11) for a rebound during the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
Minnesota Timberwolves' Bones Hyland (8) celebrates after making a 3-point basket during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
Chicago Bulls' Josh Giddey (3) goes up to shoot against Minnesota Timberwolves' Jaden McDaniels (3) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
Minnesota Timberwolves' Naz Reid celebrates during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
