SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio police and city officials reiterated their preparations for safety on Wednesday ahead of planned protests against nationwide U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detentions.
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus, City Manager Erik Walsh and several other officials outlined some of the city’s plans during a news conference.
Gov. Greg Abbott has also sent Texas National Guard troops to San Antonio, SAPD Assistant Chief Jesse Salame confirmed to KSAT on Tuesday.
Abbott’s office confirmed this in a statement to KSAT, saying that Texas “will not tolerate the lawlessness we have seen in Los Angeles.”
During Wednesday’s press conference, Nirenberg said the city did not request the troops and received “no advance warning” from Abbott’s office.
None of the city officials present were aware of the number of troops sent to San Antonio. McManus also said they were not currently in contact with the troop’s commander.
KSAT reached out to Abbott’s office for comments on the number of troops sent to San Antonio and why there was no prior communication with the police or city officials.
Press Secretary Andrew Mahaleris did not directly answer any of KSAT’s inquiries over email. Instead, KSAT was referred to an Abbott statement received on Tuesday.
Local officials prepare for protests
South Texas organizations are expected to hold rallies on Wednesday and Saturday amid nationwide immigration protests, coinciding with the president’s scheduled military parade in Washington, D.C.
During Wednesday’s press conference, McManus said SAPD supports the right to demonstrate peacefully but noted that the department’s top priorities include ensuring safety for all involved.
“We’ve established protocols to ensure demonstrations are managed safely and effectively,” he said. “These plans allow for the free expression of First Amendment rights while reducing risks to public safety.”
If police intervention is deemed necessary, McManus said it would be carried out according to SAPD policies with a “strong emphasis on de-escalation and maintaining order.”
Following McManus, Nirenberg acknowledged the “anger and frustration with the federal government’s crude interpretations of immigration law and cruel approach to human rights.”
He also reinforced the chief’s call for peaceful protesting.
KSAT asked whether this was the first time the Texas National Guard had been deployed to San Antonio.
City Manager Erik Walsh said it “had not happened in a very, very long time here in San Antonio.”
Asked if law enforcement was prepared for demonstrators to come from cities other than San Antonio, McManus said police “take everything into account.”
“We plan for the worst, and we hope, of course, for the best,” McManus said.
Hundreds gathered outside San Antonio City Hall on Sunday to protest ICE deportations and detentions, which have been taking place nationwide for several days.
In San Antonio, ICE officers have been detaining immigrants after they leave their scheduled court hearings, including a mother and child immediately after an immigration hearing. ICE agents in San Antonio also recently detained construction workers on a university campus.
KSAT asked San Antonio police how the department is preparing for upcoming protests. SAPD sent the following statement:
“The San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) remains steadfast in its commitment to safeguarding the constitutional rights of individuals and groups to hold peaceful and lawful demonstrations. On Sunday, SAPD monitored a peaceful protest at City Hall, and we will continue to do so at future demonstrations to ensure public safety and uphold the rights of all participants.”
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