Nearly three-fourths of Americans say states a right to step in, resolve border crisis, survey

A large majority of U.S. voters say that the federal government is responsible for handling the costs of the crisis at the southern border, but nearly three-in-four said the states have the right to step up and address the crisis if the government does not, according to a poll released Thursday.

When asked whether "it is the responsibility of states or the federal government to handle these increased costs at the southern border?," 86.8% of respondents said it should be accountable, according to a poll from the Convention of States action in partnership with The Trafalgar Group.

Most respondents, 68%, said they are not very confident or confident at all about whether the federal government is focused on addressing the border crisis.

When asked whether states have the right to act if the federal government does not address drug and human trafficking at the southern border, 74.3% of U.S. voters said yes, but when broken down by party, the responses change dramatically. Less than half of Democrats, 49.6%, said states have the right to act, compared to 94.6% of Republicans.

The Convention of States Action released the survey ahead of its "HOW MANY MORE?" rally in Austin, Texas, in which participants are expected to call for stronger action at the border later this month.

"There’s a growing movement in the state of Texas – which these numbers reveal has the backing of the overwhelming majority of Americans – in support of legislation that would empower the Lone Star State to repel this ongoing invasion and fix the problem," Convention of States President Mark Meckler said. "Something can be done to address this crisis, and Texas must lead the way."

The poll was conducted with 1,096 likely general election voters from April 11-14, and it had a 2.9% margin of error.

Madeleine Hubbard is an international correspondent for Just the News. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram.