New ACLU of Texas Poll Reveals Widespread Concern Among Border Residents About ICE as Midterms Approach

CONTACT: Matt Levin, ACLU of Texas, [email protected]

AUSTIN, Texas – The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas today published a report that reveals widespread concern among border residents about federal, state, and local immigration enforcement ahead of the midterm election.

The report, entitled “Gone Too Far: Border Residents in Texas Are Concerned About Immigration Enforcement,” shares results from a poll conducted by Change Research of 1,031 adults in El Paso County and four Rio Grande Valley counties (Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and Willacy) between August 25 and September 2.

The ACLU of Texas commissioned the survey to better understand how border residents across the political spectrum feel about the surge in immigration enforcement.

Key findings include:

• 53% of border residents think state and local immigration enforcement presence makes life harder without making their communities safer. Only 34% say it makes their communities safer.
• 63% of border residents, including people who have a family member employed by a federal immigration enforcement agency, believe ICE tactics have gone too far.
• 64% of border residents want local and state law enforcement to prioritize preventing and solving crime rather than immigration enforcement.

“The findings of this report reinforce what residents along the Texas border keep saying: The presence of immigration enforcement has made life harder without making our communities safer,” said Osvaldo Grimaldo (he/him), a policy strategist at the ACLU of Texas. “Regardless of immigration status, border residents experience immigration enforcement differently and more harshly than in other parts of the country. This has real consequences. Some of our neighbors are scared to go to church, take their kids to school, or even report crimes to the police. We’ve become targets simply because of where we live, the languages we speak, and the color of our skin.”

Residents of Texas border communities in the RGV and El Paso are living with the heaviest immigration presence in their lifetimes. According to our poll, nearly two out of three respondents report seeing agents or state troopers daily or a few times a week. Additionally, half of those polled say they, a family member, or a friend or acquaintance have been asked about immigration status by CBP, ICE, or state or local police.

“ICE isn't helping by deporting our hardworking immigrants regardless of their status. This whole region and country has been built on the backs of immigrants,” said one respondent who lives in the RGV and voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.

Across the surveyed regions, Trump had an approval rating of 34% and disapproval rating of 60% — with 57% disapproval in the RGV and 65% disapproval in El Paso. The president won the four surveyed Rio Grande Valley counties during the 2024 election but lost El Paso County.

The report concludes that the surge of immigration agents into the border region is upending lives there. The increased presence causes anxiety and hardship for people living along the border, including anxiety that makes some residents less likely to shop for groceries, attend church, drive on certain roads, send their children to school, or report crimes. Young people between the ages of 18 and 34 report the highest rates of stress about immigration enforcement.

“American born children in my community are scared because they see their parents scared,” said one respondent who lives in the RGV and voted for Kamala Harris in 2024.

The federal government continues to expand immigration enforcement presence along the Texas-Mexico border despite the disruption it causes for residents of all political backgrounds who live there. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the state legislature have also mandated local cooperation between law enforcement and ICE.

The ACLU of Texas recommends several policies to prioritize public safety, improve conditions for residents, and represent the interests and prevailing views of border residents. Those recommendations — which are explained in greater detail in the full report — are:

1. Halt 287(g) agreements and end existing local law enforcement collaboration with ICE.
2. End state police involvement in federal immigration enforcement.
3. Support victims of crime.
4. Tailor local law enforcement priorities to avoid targeting sensitive locations such as schools, places of worship, and hospitals.

A copy of the report with crosstabs is available here: https://www.aclutx.org/publications/gone-too-far-border-residents-in-texas-are-concerned-about-immigration-enforcement/