Trump Deputizes Texas National Guard To Escalate His Mass Deportation Agenda & Terrorize American Communities

4 FEBRUARY 2025

From Militarized Communities to Mass Deportations, Trump and Abbott Are Codifying Fear As Policy

Washington, D.C. Just days after the enactment of the Laken Riley Act, which handed extremist attorneys general like Texas’ Ken Paxton unprecedented power over federal immigration law, the Trump administration has granted Texas National Guard troops the power to make immigration arrests, turning soldiers into enforcers of his mass deportation agenda. Governor Greg Abbott has willingly turned his state’s resources against his own communities—fueling an aggressive operation that will tear families apart, spread fear, and push the country one step closer to a militarized immigration enforcement nationwide.

This comes as El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele stated that his country would incarcerate deported individuals from any country—including convicted U.S. citizens—further enabling the Trump administration’s extreme agenda, a move that is clearly illegal.

Statement from Beatriz Lopez, Co-Executive Director of the Immigration Hub:

“This is not law and order—this is government-manufactured chaos. While Americans seek immigration solutions that balance safety with the promise of keeping families together, Trump is criminalizing communities, separating families, and flirting with economic disaster. Immigrant families who work essential jobs, strengthen our communities, and embrace this country as their own are being forced to live their lives with targets on their backs, even as their invaluable contributions keep our economy strong.

“Governor Abbott is offering up Texas as the testing ground for Trump’s reimagined immigration system, with little regard for families or the state’s economy. This comes on top of the Laken Riley Act, which already handed Trump’s allies like Ken Paxton more power. The cost of this decision will fall on everyday Texans—businesses losing workers, communities being torn apart, and families living in constant fear. If Trump gets his way, no neighborhood in America will be immune from this level of enforcement and disruption.”

“The solution has always been clear and popular: a balanced approach—one that manages the border in an orderly way, consistent with our values, while also recognizing that immigrants who contribute to our economy and communities deserve a path to citizenship. These are our neighbors, our coworkers, and the backbone of industries that keep America running. America deserves real solutions, not Trump’s reckless agenda of fear and division.”

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The Immigration Hub is a national organization dedicated to advancing fair and just immigration policies through strategic leadership, innovative communications strategies, legislative advocacy and collaborative partnerships.

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