Lead narrative designer Mary DeMarle said:

“I believe the actual line mentions “Texas Separatism,” not “Succession” (or “Secession,” in case you were thinking that). The speaker is referring to the fact that, according to the Deus Ex timeline, Dallas became a self-declared “protected city-state” in 2017, paving the way for several other so-called fortress cities to come into being over the next decade. Sadly, American discontent with the federal government continued to grow worse after that; in 2020, a California Secessionist Movement was narrowly defeated in a public referendum! By the time 2027 rolled around, Secessionist groups were popping up all over the South and the West, leading to the formation of ‘terrorist groups’ like the NSF – but I’m getting a bit ahead of myself here. J