FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 13, 2025
MEDIA CONTACT
Tori Falcon, [email protected], 210-259-7564
MOVE Texas Condemns Militarized Response Ahead of
Peaceful Protests Throughout the Country this Weekend
TEXAS — MOVE Texas stands firmly against the ongoing orders from President Trump and Governor Abbott to deploy military force in anticipation of peaceful protests against the inhumane and unconstitutional ICE raids across our state and country.
Ahead of the weekend of protests, Gov. Abbott deployed 5,000 National Guard Troops and 2,000 Department of Public Safety Troops. This preemptive and retaliatory show of force is a clear scare tactic meant to intimidate peaceful demonstrators, escalate tensions, and justify state-sanctioned violence against those exercising their constitutional rights. This extreme escalation is part of a pattern of anti-democratic attempts to silence dissent and retaliate against individuals and organizations that challenge the government’s policies and actions.
In response, MOVE Texas Action Fund issued the following statement:
“Dissent is as American as apple pie, and throughout our history, young people have always been on the frontlines of change in Texas and across the nation. By protesting and speaking out in opposition to the Trump administration’s extremist and unconstitutional policies of Project 2025, including the inhumane ICE raids that are tearing families apart, they’re demonstrating a deep love for the places they call home and their commitment to the values our state and country must uphold: the right to free speech, the promise of democracy, and the opportunity not just to survive, but to thrive.
Sending a militarized force to go to war with Texans exercising their right to protest peacefully is an act of violence that threatens all other freedoms. With every extreme order, President Trump and Gov. Abbott send a clear message that they are willing to sacrifice our rights for power and control. They are not listening to the will of the people they claim to represent and that is a core responsibility of holding elected office.
And these attacks extend beyond peaceful protestors. Over 200 nonprofit organizations are being actively targeted for refusing to conform to a political agenda. Nonprofits are the backbone of our communities that provide critical services —no administration should weaponize the government against people and groups that don’t adopt their political agenda. By responding to dissent with force and groundless investigations rather than dialogue, the current administration is silencing everyday people and eroding the very foundation of democracy itself.
MOVE Texas celebrates the young people who are showing up in support of their community and recognizes the protests nationwide as an emblem of hope and resistance against the extremist and fascist regimes propped up and supported by Project 2025. We remain vigilant and committed to ensuring their voices are heard, their rights respected, and their dissent protected in every political space.”
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MOVE Texas Action Fund is a grassroots nonprofit organization working to build the political power of young people in Texas.