The Republic of Texas is a militia group that claims that the annexation

Annexation

Annexation is the de jure incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities, barring physical size...

 of Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

 by the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 was illegal and that Texas remains an independent nation under occupation. The issue of the Legal status of Texas

Legal status of Texas

The legal status of Texas is the standing of Texas as a political entity. The legal status of Texas relative to the United States of America has been the subject of debate. Texas is considered to be a state under the sovereignty of the United States of America. United States sovereignty over Texas...

 led the group to claim to reinstate a provisional government on December 13, 1995. Activists within the movement claim over 40,000 active supporters; however, there is no widespread popular support for an independent Texas.

The movement for independence was started by the research of Richard Lance (Rick) McLaren.