Although 60 percent of voters in Texas agree with sending the National Guard to protect the border between the US and Mexico, the majority are against the construction of a border wall and believe that young undocumented immigrants already living in the country should be offered a path to citizenship. This was according to a new poll by Quinnipiac University, released on Thursday.
The majority who responded to the poll also held liberal views on marijuana and gun control. Hispanic voters were more divided about the National Guard, with 51 percent agreeing to the move and 49 percent opposing it. Black voters were firmly against it – 59 to 39 percent – with white voters firmly in favor – 68 to 28 percent.
Texas state officials responded to the call from President Donald Trump by sending at least 762 of the state’s National Guard troops to the border, with the total number of troops on the border expected to reach 1400 over the next few weeks, according to officials on Wednesday. Almost three-quarters of those surveyed cited undocumented immigrants using the border to illegally enter the US as a major problem, but 54 percent were against a border wall as a solution, compared to 43 percent in favor.
Voters in Texas also support the idea of allowing Dreamers, the young undocumented immigrants who came to the US as minors, to stay and ultimately be able to get US citizenship, with 79 percent in favor and 15 percent against.