Greg Abbott Backed by Texans on Floating Barriers Despite Outcry

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Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property insurance market, local and national politics. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations from Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy. She speaks English, Italian, and a little French and Spanish. You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing: g.carbonaro@newsweek.com.

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More Texans support Governor Greg Abbott's controversial decision to put floating barriers in the Rio Grande than those who oppose it, according to a new poll conducted for Newsweek.

The poll, carried out by Redfield & Wilton Strategies on behalf of Newsweek, questioned a sample of 687 eligible voters in the state of Texas between August 8 and 9.

Texans were asked how they felt about the floating barriers which the Republican governor introduced in the Rio Grande last month to stop migrants from crossing the border with the southern state.

The barriers, made up of a line of wrecking ball-size buoys with serrated discs that have been likened to circular saws between them, have been condemned by Texas Democrats and human rights groups, as well as Mexican authorities, who have voiced safety concerns.

Texas floating barrier
In picture: A person speaks on the phone while surveying the preparation of a buoy barrier installation on July 07, 2023 in Eagle Pass, Texas. Texas began installing buoy barriers along portions of the Rio... Brandon Bell/Getty Images

The body of a migrant was found stuck in a floating barrier in early August, as reported by Mexico's Foreign Ministry. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, a Texas Democrat who traveled to the town of Eagle Pass to see the floating barriers first-hand, called them "cruel and inhumane."

The Department of Justice has sued Texas and Abbott to get the barriers removed, though the Republican governor opposed the preliminary injunction.

Despite the backlash, Texans appear to back Abbott on the controversial issue, with a total of 49 percent of respondents to the exclusive Redfield & Wilton Strategies/Newsweek poll saying they either strongly supported (26 percent) or supported (23 percent) the decision to erect the floating barriers.

Some 15 percent of respondents neither opposed nor supported the decision, while a total of 28 percent either strongly opposed it (21 percent) or opposed it (7 percent). Some 7 percent didn't know how they felt about it.

Asked how familiar they were with the issue, a majority of 81 percent of respondents said they were somewhat familiar, while 19 percent said they were "not at all familiar" with the topic.

Texans are generally happy about the way Abbott is handling immigration in the state, with 42 percent either strongly approving (25 percent) or approving (17 percent) of his job on the issue. A total of 37 percent strongly disapproved (11 percent) or disapproved (26 percent).

They are, in fact, even happier than they were last year, when the number of Texans approving of the Republican governor's job on tackling immigration was 2 percentage points lower, at 40 percent.

Abbott has overall grown his approval rate, according to the Redfield & Wilton Strategies/Newsweek poll.

Some 45 percent strongly approved (25 percent) or approved (20 percent) of Abbott's overall job performance since he became governor in 2015, while a total of 37 percent either strongly disapproved (26 percent) or disapproved (11 percent) of what he has done for the state. Some 14 percent neither disapproved nor approved of his job.

Abbott has managed to grow his approval rating and reverse last year's results, when 41 percent of Texans approved of the governor's overall job and 42 percent disapproved.

Newsweek contacted Abbott's press office for comment by email on Tuesday.

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About the writer

Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property insurance market, local and national politics. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations from Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy. She speaks English, Italian, and a little French and Spanish. You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing: g.carbonaro@newsweek.com.

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Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property ... Read more