TEXAS — Gov. Greg Abbott this week signed three border security bills, one of which, Senate Bill 4, drew condemnation and a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union.

The bill will allow police to arrest migrants who cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally and give local judges the authority to order them to leave the country.

What You Need To Know

  • The latest University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll shows strong support for strict border measures, such as Senate Bill 4, which Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law this week

  • The poll shows 61% of respondents favor increasing funding for border wall construction, including 90% of Republicans. A small majority supports “making it a state crime for an undocumented immigrant to be in Texas in most circumstances”

  • Voters don’t think some of the bills that made it out of the Texas Legislature go far enough. Most don’t think Texans will see significant property tax relief, for instance

  • Texas Republicans still favor former President Donald Trump by a wide margin. Sixty-five percent of respondents planning to vote in the Republican primary favor Trump

Advocates and Democrats largely denounced the law, calling it unconstitutional and an overreach by the state, but according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll, there is firm support for such measures, especially among Republicans.

The other bills Abbott signed increase the sentence for smuggling migrants or operating a stash house and fund border wall construction and the patrolling of a controversial Houston-area housing development.

The poll shows 61% of respondents, including 90% of Republicans, favor increasing funding for border wall construction. A small majority supports “making it a state crime for an undocumented immigrant to be in Texas in most circumstances.” Eighty-four percent of Republicans support that.

The wide-ranging poll found significantly less support for what came out of the recent session of the Texas Legislature.  

For instance, most Texas voters aren’t sold on the property tax cut package. Only 29% of voters said they are “extremely” or “very” confident the Legislature “reduced property taxes enough to make a difference to most Texans.”

Only 29% of respondents said the Legislature improved the safety of Texas public schools, 26% said it improved security along the Texas-Mexico border and 26% believe it improved the reliability of the power grid.

While the Legislature didn’t get it done, one of Abbott’s priority bills, private school vouchers, has support of 54% of voters. Thirty-two percent are opposed. An increase in funding for public school safety received 81% support and an increase in per pupil funding for public schools saw 68% support.

For 2024 candidates, Texas Republicans still favor former President Donald Trump by a wide margin. Sixty-five percent of respondents planning to vote in the Republican primary favor Trump. His closest competition is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who received just 12%.

The poll was conducted in early December and surveyed 1,200 registered voters. It has an overall margin of error of +/- 2.83 percentage points.