New Polling: Hispanics Are Angry at the Economy, Strong on Immigration Enforcement
By giant margins, a new national poll of Hispanics shows that these citizens have soured on President Donald Trump and the Republican Party, with the economy driving the dissatisfaction—not immigration enforcement. In fact, when apprised of the reality of Trump’s immigration agenda, Hispanics approve.
When asked what concerns them more—high prices or Immigration and Customs Enforcement and immigration enforcement—Hispanics cite inflation worries by a staggering 73% to 19%. The poll also found that Hispanics approve, by an 11-point margin, of removing illegal migrants who refuse the Trump administration’s generous incentives for self-deportation, including paid trips home and the ability to reapply later for legal status. In addition, Hispanics support full cooperation between local police and federal immigration authorities by a 20-point margin.
The national poll of 1,000 Latino citizens, conducted by Wick, reveals both the challenges and opportunities facing the political right as it seeks to re-earn the trust of these voters. After all, Trump’s performance among Hispanics in 2024 was one of the most consequential aspects of his return to power and helped drive his popular-vote victory. Trump won Hispanic men nationally, shocking the political world and proving that “bad hombres” do not subscribe to the Democrats’ radicalism.
But Hispanics remain a flexible and politically mobile demographic, willing to swing materially between the parties. Right now, they express intense frustration with Trump and the GOP, and that frustration flows almost entirely from economic angst.
At present, Trump’s job approval among Hispanics sits at a dismal net -31%, with 30% approving and 61% disapproving. On inflation, the news is even worse for the administration, with only 21% approval. Overall, just 15% of Hispanics say their financial situation has improved under Trump, while 54% say things have gotten worse.
As an overwhelmingly working-class population, inflation stings harder for Hispanics than for many other citizens. Hispanic households tend to be larger, meaning more mouths to feed. In addition, Hispanics are, on average, about a decade younger than the broader American population and therefore have not yet accumulated significant financial assets. As a result, many have not benefited to the same degree from recent increases in stock prices and home values.
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Consequently, the sooner the war with Iran wraps up, the better the economic trajectory will be for Hispanics and for every other American.
In addition, staying the course on immigration remains critical. Before the war, real wages—income adjusted for the cost of living—were rising meaningfully for American workers.
That bullish trend accelerated, in part, because so many illegal workers were leaving the country, either through self-deportation or through renewed enforcement actions. Once the war is resolved, America can quickly return to that trend of rising real pay, with disproportionate benefits for struggling Hispanics.
In addition to providing economic upward mobility for hard-working Hispanics, the GOP and the “America First” movement need to do a better job of messaging to these citizens. For example, Hispanics remain culturally traditional, right in line with the values of the populist Right. This poll showed that a huge supermajority opposes trans males competing in female sports, by a 65% to 22% margin. Yet only 22% of Hispanics believe the GOP reflects their values.
Clearly, the GOP agenda aligns far more closely with Hispanic values than the radical Democrats, so this gap points to a decided lack of effort and effective communication. If Republican policies align more closely with Hispanic voters on a range of cultural and social issues, party leaders have not effectively communicated that alignment.
This polling should therefore serve as both marching orders and a warning sign. These patriotic Hispanics do not subscribe to the leftist extremism of the present Democratic Party. At the same time, they are understandably frustrated by an economy that is not working for them right now. Their voting behavior is fluid, and their support must be earned through both effective policies and effective communication.
A huge component of making America great again involves securing the 2024 coalition as a permanent political constituency, with Hispanics serving as a foundation. Their continued support will depend on whether they see tangible improvements in their economic lives and hear a message that resonates with their values.
We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of the Daily Signal.
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