FROM THE OUTSIDE | Trump and Latinos

According to statistics, 46 percent of Latino voters supported then-candidate Donald Trump, partly due to his economic and immigration promises but also because of his stance toward Latin America—especially regarding the regimes in Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.

However, this is a vote he could lose, at least based on signals from polls regarding his first three months in office.

The Hispanic or Latino population in the United States is far from being a monolithic bloc. Of the estimated 66.35 million in 2023, about 60 percent (39.81 million) are of Mexican origin. Other groups with more than a million members include Puerto Ricans, Salvadorans, Dominicans, Cubans, Guatemalans, Colombians, and Hondurans. In addition, since 2010, there has been a significant influx of Venezuelans.

Many individuals—particularly Central Americans, Venezuelans, and Cubans—left their countries because of political and economic crises and aligned with Trump and his hardline approach.

However, in recent weeks, the Trump administration has not only advocated for mass deportations of undocumented residents—primarily of Latin American origin—but also for the removal of individuals who arrived in recent years seeking political asylum. It has also sought to end protected status for Salvadoran and Venezuelan refugees and initiated programs that directly affect Cuban refugees.

At the same time, images of masked and armed agents detaining individuals—who are not necessarily criminals and, in some cases, are even U.S. citizens—for deportation to their countries of origin or to prisons in El Salvador have circulated widely.

The deportation of a four-year-old boy, born in the United States to Honduran parents and suffering from cancer, was unlikely to create a favorable impression for the Trump administration, particularly among groups that have traditionally supported Republicans.

Indeed, certain leaders have begun to express feelings of being “betrayed.”

Domestically, Trump’s measures to cut social programs have impacted the Latino population. According to MSNBC, up to 30 percent of Medicaid recipients are Latino.

A poll conducted by Voto Latino and the Latino Community Foundation revealed that:

• 63% of Latino voters believe Trump has gone too far on immigration
• 44% expressed concern that a close family member might be deported
• 68% said the economic situation is either worsening or remaining the same
• 43% reported that their family is struggling to cover daily expenses.

According to the polls, neither the Democratic nor Republican parties surpass 50 percent approval; however, the former appears to be in a stronger position than the latter.

Discussing disillusionment may be premature. However, the surveys serve as a political wake-up call.