Washington, DC — Three separate and recently released polls of Latino voters offer fresh evidence that key segments of the electorate and American majority are rejecting mass deportation and calling for real accountability and reform. The new Latino polling, from Equis; Third Way/UnidosUS (conducted by Impact Research and BSP Research); and the Miami Herald (conducted by Bendixen & Amandi and The Tarrance Group), is detailed and excerpted below.
According to Vanessa Cárdenas, Executive Director of America’s Voice:
“Latino voters are rejecting the cruelty, chaos and violence of the Trump and GOP mass deportation agenda. Like the majority of all Americans, Latinos believe Trump has gone too far and are calling for real reform and accountability – not a blank check from Congress for more cruelty and harm.
Yet President Trump and Stephen Miller continue ‘full steam ahead’ with their 1 million deportations quota, no matter the human, economic or political consequences. Notably, cracks are starting to show among the GOP– just yesterday 10 House Republicans voted for Haiti TPS protections yesterday in an attempt to distance themselves from their earlier full-throated support to provide unprecedented funding for mass deportation.
Americans, including Latino voters, are rejecting the cruelty on display. There is a growing recognition that the mass deportation agenda makes us poorer, weaker, and less safe and is becoming a political liability for its supporters.”
New Latino Polling Highlights
Nationwide of 2,000 Hispanic voters released on April 10th (available in full here).
Below are several highlights and takeaways from the Equis poll summary:
“Most voters believe Trump has gone too far on immigration, primarily because of the impact his broad approach has had on families and children, as well as U.S. citizens and legal immigrants.”
- Net approval of Trump’s handling of immigration among Hispanic voters is -26 (35% approve, 61% disapprove)
- By a 65-30 margin, Latinos believe Trump’s actions on immigration “are going too far, and instead of deporting criminals, he is targeting the types of hardworking immigrants who strengthen our nation,” ahead of believing his actions are “justified… If some people who are not criminals suffer because of it, it’s the price to pay to ensure our safety.”
- Among Latinos who believe Trump’s actions on immigration have gone too far, the majority cite either the separation of families and detention of children (42%) or the detention and deportation of U.S. citizens and legal residents (26%), rather than the impact on the economy (19%), as their reason for thinking so.”
Nationwide of 1,000 likely voters and an oversample of 850 Hispanic voters conducted by Impact Research and BSP Research and released on April 16 (full poll memo and findings here)
As the poll memo describes in key toplines:
- Voters have soured on Trump’s reckless immigration enforcement campaign.
- Erosion on this issue among Hispanic voters is more acute, helping to erase their 2024 bump in support for both Trump and his party overall.
- There is widespread support for the entire range of reforms to ICE that are being considered by policymakers, and voters want to see those reforms enacted before the agency gets any more funding.
Among the key findings the memo details:
- Trump’s job approval on immigration (44%) now mirrors his job approval overall (43%), a massive erosion from where he started on this issue.
- Support dips even lower to 41% when voters are asked about his use of federal agents such as ICE in American cities. This is a dramatic collapse for Trump on his signature issue, with approval especially low among Independents at just 38% … a majority of voters feel like the actions of President Trump and Republicans have crossed a line.
- 55% of voters overall and 70% of Latino voters agree that “President Trump and Republicans have gone too far. We need an effective border and immigration system, with enforcement that respects the rights and safety of American citizens and non-citizens alike.” That compares to 43% of all voters and 29% of Latinos who prefer the statement “President Trump and Republicans are on the right track. We need to do what’s necessary to secure our border, crack down on people coming in illegally, and deport anyone who broke the law coming here in the first place.”
- There is significant support for major reforms to ICE, with 59% of voters wanting to see significant action before ICE gets any additional funding, and only 40% saying ICE needs to be fully funded now. Among Latinos, a staggering 81% want policymakers to make major changes before passing funding for this agency, with a mere 18% saying ICE needs to be fully funded to continue its current operations.”
800 Cubans and Cuban-Americans in South Florida by Bendixen & Amandi and The Tarrance Group and released April 15 (see more here).
As Syra Blanes Ortiz of the Miami Herald wrote about the new poll:
“Cubans and Cuban Americans living in South Florida want the Trump administration to ease up its aggressive crackdown on immigrants from the island, according to a new Miami Herald poll, signaling a rift over immigration policy between the president and some of his staunchest supporters. According to a poll conducted for the Herald by Bendixen & Amandi International and The Tarrance Group, 68% of Cubans strongly or somewhat disapprove of the Trump administration’s increased deportations of undocumented Cubans without criminal records. They also overwhelmingly — at 81% — support allowing Cubans to legally immigrate to the United States.
…I support taking action against individuals who are criminals, but not abuse”, said poll respondent Haydee Freire, 76, who arrived in 2005. “What has happened to many immigrants from Cuba, Mexico, and other countries is that they have been subjected to abuse—and even killed. And that is a crime. There are families who have been in the United States for 20 years, working here, who have built a decent life for themselves.”
