Texas has become the latest epicenter of mass protests that have erupted amid a major campaign to deport illegal immigrants, mostly from Mexico. The unrest that began in California has spread to the cities of Santa Ana, Austin and Dallas, where demonstrators are blocking streets, lighting fires and using fireworks against law enforcement. Authorities say at least a dozen people have been arrested in Texas, and the situation remains tense. American cities are facing an escalation of conflict caused by the hardline immigration policies of President Donald Trump's administration.

According to the Associated Press, the protests in Texas began on June 9, 2025, several days after similar unrest in Los Angeles, where 6 people were detained in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids on June 44. In response to the authorities' actions in California, thousands of people took to the streets, demanding an end to deportations and recognition of the rights of migrants. In Texas, demonstrators, many of whom held Mexican flags and signs with slogans such as "Stop the deportations" and "Migrants are not criminals," blocked key highways, including I-35 in Austin. In Dallas, police reportedly used fireworks against law enforcement, leading to clashes. According to The New York Times, in Santa Ana, protesters set trash cans on fire, creating makeshift barricades, forcing authorities to send additional forces to the city.

The mass deportation policy, which began after Donald Trump took office in January 2025, has sparked a backlash in states with large Latino populations. Since the beginning of the year, ICE has detained more than 158 undocumented migrants, about 60% of whom are Mexican nationals, according to Reuters. In Texas, which is home to more than 1,6 million undocumented migrants, the raids have sparked particular outrage. In Austin, protesters surrounded the local ICE office, demanding the release of those detained, who they say include legal residents and families with children, CNN reported. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a hard-line immigration advocate, has announced additional National Guard patrols in Dallas and Austin to quell the unrest.