Survey of Texans in Congress shows most Republicans back Trump's travel ban

As of late Monday, nearly all of the 38-member Texas congressional delegation had taken a position on President Trump's travel ban executive order. Most Republicans backed the measure, while Democrats viscerally opposed it.

by Abby Livingston, Aditi Bhandari and Bobby Blanchard

A child walks in a United Nations refugee camp in Turkey where thousands of Syrian refugees reside.
A child walks in a United Nations refugee camp in Turkey where thousands of Syrian refugees reside. UNHCR

WASHINGTON — After a turbulent weekend at American airports, many Texas members of Congress sought on Monday to clarify their positions on President Donald Trump's controversial executive order banning travel from certain countries in the Middle East.  

In a nearly uniform fashion, Texas Republicans lined up behind Trump, while Democrats viscerally opposed the action.  

Only U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, a Helotes Republican, fully crossed party lines and firmly opposed the ban. 

Republicans who backed Trump fell into two camps: those offering full-throated support and those who expressed concern about the disorganized implementation that resulted in a public relations nightmare of detained travelers in Texas and across the country.

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Most Texas Republicans were initially reluctant to weigh in, with only a handful making public statements over the weekend. But by Monday, a flood of GOP Texas members released statements praising the action.  

As of late Monday, only a few in the 38-member Texas congressional delegation remained on the sidelines.