Illegal Border Crossings Today:

Texas Poll Data

University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll of registered Texas voters 

May 11-18, 2011

  • Texas voters believe that immigration (16%) and border security (15%) are the top two “most important problem facing the state of Texas today?”
  • Oppose amnesty 57% to 37%.
  • 77% support the enforcement of immigration laws by local law enforcement officers.
  • 44% believe the immigration system is currently “bad for the country” to 42% who believe it is good.

University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll of Texans

February 11-17, 2011

  • 87% support fines for businesses who hire illegal workers. 
  • 54% oppose a “pathway to citizenship.”
  • 70% support “requiring law enforcement officials to check someone’s immigration status when they suspect him/her of being in the country illegally.”
  • 53% support “changing the Constitution to repeal this part of the 14th Amendment.” (The 14th Amendment does not need to be altered to end birthright citizenship for children born to illegal aliens. If the question was accurately, the support for an end to birthright citizenship would likely be significantly higher.)
  • Support prohibiting businesses from soliciting workers from day labor sites 52% to 34% opposed. 
  • 69% oppose sanctuary cities.
  • Opposed in-state tuition for illegal aliens, 59% to 27%.

KHOU-Belo Texas Poll of Likely Texas Voters 

October 7, 2010 

  • 70% believe that Texas should adopt an immigration law similar to the one recently adopted in Arizona. Only 29% oppose such a law.
  • Support 56% to 39% the construction of a fence along most or all of the Texas-Mexico border.
  • 76% favor increasing fines against Texas companies that hire illegal workers, with Hispanics supporting that policy 60% to 34%.
  • Immigration and border issues were second only to the economy as the most important issue in the 2010 governor’s race.

University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll

September 3-8, 2010

  • A poll of registered voters found that 65% favor an Arizona-style immigration enforcement bill with 54% “strongly in favor.”

 

Rasmussen Poll: Arizona Law SB 1070

July 2010

Suppose the new Arizona immigration law was being considered for your state. Would you favor or oppose passage of that law in your state?

 

A study by Rice University of 650 residents of Houston in April, 2007 found that:

  • 55.8% agree with imposing fines and criminal charges on employers for employing illegal immigrants 
  • A majority of Texans say immigration should be decreased (51%) or kept at its present level (31%). 
  • A large majority said the “main focus of the US government in dealing with the issue of illegal immigration” should be to stop the flow of illegal immigration (56%). 
  • A majority (52%) think legal immigrants “mostly hurt the economy by driving wages down for many Americans,” and 
  • A larger majority (60%) said the same about illegal immigrants. (Scripps Howard Texas poll, November, 2005 — 5%age point margin of error) 
  • 64% said the U.S. allows too many legal immigrants into the country. (Scripps Howard Texas, March 2002) 
  • 93% support tightening restrictions on visas for foreign students. (Scripps Howard Texas, Dec. 2001) 

A Houston Area Survey conducted by the University of Houston’s Center of Public Opinion, from February 13-27th, 2007found: 

  • 73% favor fines and criminal charges against employers who hire illegal aliens 
  • 48% found increasing immigration “threatens America’s culture”