Greg Abbott Gets Boost Over Texas Border Razor Wire

Polling suggests Texas Governor Greg Abbott has a positive level of support for his border policies as his office continues to be at odds with the Biden administration over using razor wire.

Exclusive polling conducted for Newsweek by Redfield & Wilton Strategies indicates Abbott has 51 percent support among voters in Texas for continuing to erect razor wire on the border. The poll was conducted from February 1-3 among 814 eligible voters in Texas.

The Supreme Court ruled in January that federal border agents can be allowed access to key areas along the Rio Grande River, the border with Mexico, and cut razor wire installed by Abbott. The Biden administration says it prevents their agents from accessing important areas and has begun to cut the wire, but Texas is still preventing access to the Eagle Pass in the Shelby Park area.

Of the 51 percent, 35 percent of Texas voters said they strongly support the governor, while 16 percent said they support him.

Abbott's Texas has continued to build border defenses. The governor shared a video shot in Starr County to X, formerly Twitter, on January 30, writing: "Border wall construction is ongoing along the Texas-Mexico border." He said the state "will continue to use every tool and strategy available to defend our southern border."

After the Supreme Court ruling, Abbott said on X on January 22, "Texas' razor wire is an effective deterrent."

In all, 19 percent of voters said they strongly oppose using razor wire, nine percent said they oppose and 16 percent said they neither support nor oppose Abbott's position. A further four percent said they did not know.

The border issue could also be key for voters as they head to the polls for the presidential election later this year.

Polling for Newsweek on the situation indicates 57 percent of voters in Texas believe the Biden administration does not have control over the southern border.

A total of 57 percent also blame the U.S. government for the problems.

Newsweek has approached the Biden administration through the Department of Homeland Security for comment via email.

The Biden administration has called on Congress to agree on the Senate's $118 billion border bill. The bill is part of a wider deal on security issues including funding for Ukraine and Israel.

The issue could drag on without resolution, however, with some Republican lawmakers still deeply unhappy with some bill text and key negotiators like Republican Senator James Lankford saying the bill text is likely to be changed.

After House Speaker Mike Johnson said the bill was "dead on arrival," Lankford told Fox Business Network's Mornings with Maria on February 6 that "amendments" are needed.

There were 155,789 migrant encounters in Texas in December, according to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data.

Texas agrees border crisis is "invasion"

The polling also says Abbott has a net approval rating of +6 percent and 54 percent agree with him on his use of the word "invasion" to describe the situation at the border.

Abbott has declared an "invasion," citing part of the Constitution in doing so. This has been backed by many of Abbott's supporters including prominent Republican Governors and members of Congress. Texas Senator Ted Cruz said Texas has "the Constitutional authority to protect itself."

Legal experts have questioned Abbott's interpretation of the Constitution, however. New York University law lecturer Professor Peter Shane told Newsweek previously that Abbott's declaration was "nonsense" and said, "Governors have no power to declare anything under the U.S. Constitution."

Newsweek has approached Abbott's office for comment.

Redfield & Wilton Strategies says 54 percent of voters "agree that the situation that Texas faces at its border with Mexico constitutes an invasion."

A total of 55 percent also agree with Abbott's statement that the "State of Texas has constitutional authority to protect and defend itself."

In a January 24 press release, Abbott said: "I have already declared an invasion under Article I, § 10, Clause 3 to invoke Texas's constitutional authority to defend and protect itself. That authority is the supreme law of the land and supersedes any federal statutes to the contrary."