Former Land Commissioner Garry Mauro said Tuesday that Donald Trump is in Texas because "he saw the same poll I did," showing Trump with a 6-point lead over Hillary Clinton.

"We haven’t seen that in a while," said Mauro, head of Texans for Hillary Clinton, of the relatively slender Republican advantage in a Public Policy Polling survey conducted Aug. 12-14.

"If Trump’s in Texas, it’s because Texas must be in play," Mauro said. "He didn’t come to Austin, Texas, for funsies."

Mauro made the comment at a Texas Democratic Party news conference at the AFL-CIO headquarters in downtown Austin called to condemn Trump and particularly his immigration policies, even as the Republican nominee seems to be in the midst of softening his stance on the mass deportation of immigrants without legal status.

RELATED: Trump has visited Texas 3 previous times during his campaign

The who’s who of Austin Democrats said that neither Trump’s critics nor supporters would be taken in by his attempt to moderate his immigration policy.

State Rep. Celia Israel of Austin, who grew up on the border, said Trump would be better to simply abandon his "divisive and ignorant rhetoric," and use his Austin visit to sample the authentic local cuisine because, "even you deserve better than a taco bowl" — referring to a viral tweet Trump sent on Cinco de Mayo touting the taco bowls from Trump Tower Grill.

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U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Austin said that Trump’s views were so toxic that it was not enough simply to defeat him in November.

"Unequivocal routing is essential," Doggett said.

Doggett said that unlike some GOP officials in other states who have denounced Trump, in Texas, "most of them are hiding under a rock someplace."

As of late afternoon, hours after Trump had started his Texas jaunt, no top Republican state official had tweeted any mention of Trump’s visit.