This month, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) announced plans to build a military base camp near the U.S.-Mexico border in Eagle Pass. This is the governor’s latest move to secure the border as President Joe Biden’s policies continue to allow thousands upon thousands of illegal immigrants into the United States unvetted.
As Sarah covered, Abbott said on Friday that the camp will be built on 80 acres of land in Eagle Pass and hold up to 1,800 Texas National Guard members. It will also have room to house an additional 500 members in an effort to keep the border's security on lockdown.
"This will increase the ability for a larger number of Texas Military Department soldiers in Eagle Pass to operate more effectively and efficiently," Abbott reportedly said during a press conference.
According to a new poll from the University of Texas and the Texas Politics Project, the majority of Texans support Abbott's decisions to deploy members of the military to the southern border to handle the illegal immigration crisis.
Two-thirds of respondents said they support deploying military at the border, and 65 percent said they support building and repairing border walls.
#New data this morning from @TxPolProject, here’s some pretty stunning polling:
— Michael Adkison (@madkisonews) February 19, 2024
Asked about Gov. @GregAbbott_TX’s border policy, and 2 out of 3 voters (Rep and Dem) say they support the militarization at the border.
Only 41% say they support blocking access to Border Patrol. pic.twitter.com/bjMlMoaW9F
Not to mention, the majority of Texans surveyed said they support making it a state crime to enter the U.S. and using buoys to deter illegal immigrants, two issues Townhall has covered in the past because they’ve received pushback from the Biden administration.
James Henson, the director of the Texas Politics Project, told CBS Austin that he’s noticed Democrats’ opinions on the border issue to shift in recent years.
"What is different about this poll, I think, or what we're seeing as a growing trend, is increased support among a minority of Democrats for these kinds of measures," James Henson, the director of the Texas Politics Project, said. "If there's one theme that really interested us in this poll, it was the degree to which, likely because of the persistence of the recurring migrant issue on the border, and the domestic repercussions of that, that we are seeing the minorities of Democrats, and by 'minorities,' I mean numerical minorities of Democrats, that support these tougher measures increase gradually over time."