A majority of Texans oppose Governor Greg Abbott’s deployment of Texas National Guard troops to Illinois and other states, according to a new University of Texas at Austin poll that also reveals the governor’s approval rating has plummeted to its lowest point in a decade. The Texas Politics Project conducted a survey between October 10 and 20 that showed that 51% of registered voters opposed using state military forces for law enforcement outside Texas borders, while 41% supported the practice.
Abbott’s Approval Rating Tumbles 12 Points
The survey shows Governor Abbott’s approval rating has dropped to 39% which represents his lowest point since becoming governor ten years ago and a 12-point decrease from October 2024. The survey was conducted among 1,200 registered voters, who gave Abbott his lowest approval rating since his governorship began. The survey was conducted during Abbott’s 2025 gubernatorial reelection campaign for his fourth term. The survey results show that Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick saw a 10-point decrease in his approval rating to 29% due to his support for hemp product bans and increased film incentive funding.
Deployment Costs Taxpayers Nearly $3.5 Million.
President Donald Trump requested Governor Abbott to send 200 National Guard members from Texas to Illinois to protect U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel who faced protests from local demonstrators. The deployment of 200 Texas Guard members has cost taxpayers $3.5 million, according to CBS News. A federal judge allowed the deployment to remain in Illinois but ordered the activation to wait until the legal fight over mobilization reaches its conclusion.
“Turning Them Into a Domestic Police Force”
Ten Texas Democratic members of Congress requested that state troops leave immediately because they believed the deployment violated state law. The lawmakers wrote to Abbott that the National Guard consists of citizen-soldiers who protect Texas during disasters and serve abroad when needed. Lawmakers opposed using Guard members as domestic police forces in another state, as this would damage public trust and violate the Guard's fundamental purpose.
Broader Opposition to Military Law Enforcement
The survey results showed Texans doubt military involvement in domestic law enforcement because 49% opposed using the U.S. military for city law enforcement, and 43% supported it. The public shows skepticism about military involvement in domestic law enforcement because Trump has sent National Guard troops to five Democratic-controlled cities since June, according to SCOTUSblog.
Trump’s Texas Approval Also Declines
The survey revealed that President Trump lost Texas support to 41% after his approval ratings dropped from 54% before taking office and 53% during his first month of his second term. The deployment strategy has sparked constitutional disputes because federal courts ruled in September that the administration violated the Posse Comitatus Act by sending troops into Los Angeles without proper authorization. The ongoing legal battles in federal courts will determine how much power presidents have to use military forces against state objections.