A TSU survey finds most Harris County residents view crime as a serious problem, while opinions remain split on immigration enforcement.
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — A new survey released Wednesday morning offers a deeper understanding of how Harris County residents view crime and immigration enforcement in their communities.
The Barbara Jordan Public Policy Research and Survey Center at TSU conducted the survey from June 24 to July 3, 2025, collecting responses from 1,600 registered voters across Harris County. Participants represented all ethnic backgrounds, political affiliations, and neighborhoods.
How serious is crime in Harris County?
When asked how serious crime is in their neighborhood:
- 54% said it’s very serious
- 34% said it’s somewhat serious
- 11% said it’s not too serious
- 1% said it’s not at all serious
Experts point out that these perceptions are shaped by multiple factors, including how local police respond to incidents and how cases are prosecuted.
“They need their police department to show up. When their house gets burglarized, when their car gets broken into, when their car gets stolen. They need the department to show up. They need the DA’s office to take a gamble, right? If the fingerprint is on the outside of the car instead of the inside of the car, charge them anyway. Maybe they take a plea, maybe they don’t, maybe you have to go to trial, maybe you don’t.”
— Thomas Nixon, attorney and former HPD Officer
Immigration enforcement: Should local police cooperate?
The survey also explored public opinion on immigration enforcement and cooperation with federal authorities:
- 39% said cooperation should be case by case
- 38% said police should always cooperate
- 23% said police should never cooperate
Cesar Espinosa, executive director of FIEL, said fear plays a large role in how immigrant communities view law enforcement.
“People are scared. People associate every law enforcement with ICE or they think or they know because of personal interactions or what they’ve heard from their personal friends that at the end of the day, if they interact with any law enforcement, they could end up in ICE detention. So… Once again, what we fear about this is that people will no longer contact police if there is a crime, if they’re a witness or a victim of a crime.”
Why this matters
TSU researchers say the goal of this survey is to gain a clearer understanding of public opinions on crime, criminal justice, and public safety in Harris County. This is the first of two reports based on the collected data.