Austin – The overwhelming majority of Texans believe there is an immigration crisis in the country, according to a new poll conducted for the Texas Public Policy Foundation. The survey found that fully 80 percent would characterize immigration as a “crisis,” including 64 percent of Democrats and 75 percent of Independents. Nearly one out of four (23 percent) also said illegal immigration is the most important issue that the Texas Legislature should be addressing right now, and more than half (53 percent) said they trusted the state of Texas to do the right thing on immigration over the federal government (24 percent).

The poll was conducted by WPA Intelligence on January 12 – 14, 2020 from 800 registered Texas voters and has a margin of error of +/- 3.5 percent.

The poll also surveyed a range of issues important to Texans at the local, state and federal level. Below immigration, health care and education rounded out the top three issues at 15 percent and 10 percent, respectively. Some highlights from the poll include:

On Education:

  • Two-thirds support educational options for parents and students saying “public school students should have the ability to choose which public school they attend regardless of where they live.” Twenty-eight percent opposed.
  • Nearly four out of five Texans (79 percent) agreed, “Texas public higher education institutions should require a mandatory course on the founding documents and principles of the United States.”
  • Sixty-six percent said, “public education dollars should be able to be paid to employers who hire high school students as part of a career training program.”

On Health Care:

  • Over 80 percent agreed there should be greater price transparency in health care saying, “medical providers should give patients the price for health care procedures and treatments before performing them.”

On Energy:

  • Sixty-seven percent opposed taxpayer subsidies of renewable energy if it increased their electricity bills by ten or fifteen percent. Roughly the same (68 percent) opposed the subsidies if it made access to energy less reliable.

On Taxes:

  • For 77 percent of Texans, property taxes continue to be a “major burden.”
  • Over 70 percent of Texans believe the state should “require every state and local taxing entity to submit a third-party independent audit.”

On Criminal Justice:

  • Almost nine out of ten Texans (89 percent) said judges should have access to material that helps them determine if someone is a “flight” or security risk before setting bail.
  • Seventy-seven percent said civil asset forfeiture “should be outlawed and eliminated.”

In addition, the survey looked at voting behaviors and attitudes among native-born Texans and those who moved here from another state or country. In the last presidential election, the poll found that native Texans supported President Trump over Hillary Clinton 45 – 38 percent, and those who have relocated to Texans also supported the president by the wider margin of 47 – 35 percent. The polling result runs counter to widespread claims that newcomers to Texas are pushing the state to the left.