Feeling blamed and deceived: Latinos who voted for Trump rebel against the Republican Party

Many Latino voters supported Trump because they believed his promises to remove criminals and improve the economy. After two years, some say they saw the opposite. Deportations reached people they considered hardworking and law-abiding, while immigration enforcement disrupted families and neighborhoods. Their disappointment now threatens Republican support in the midterms.

Celia Salmerón says her beauty salon nearly collapsed because undocumented customers stopped coming or were deported. José Flores says at least 10 people close to him were detained or deported. He regrets supporting Trump and says, “I feel guilty.” Both now plan to vote Democratic, even though Flores has had more work in one of his businesses.

The change is broader than these two voters. A UnidosUS survey found 46% would not support Trump again, rising to 57% among voters who crossed party lines to back him. The article presents this disillusionment as a likely Republican loss in the midterm elections.

U.S. midterm elections take place about two years after a presidential election. Voters choose members of the House of Representatives and, in some states, senators. They do not choose a president. These elections matter because Congress makes laws, approves spending, and oversees the executive branch.

The key mechanism is control of seats. If one party wins enough House or Senate races, it can gain a majority in that chamber. A majority gives the party greater power to set the legislative agenda, lead committees, and decide which bills receive votes. The president remains in office, but governing becomes more difficult when Congress is controlled by the opposing party.

In the article, Latino voters who regret backing Trump say they will vote Democratic on November 3. Their choices could therefore affect Republican control of Congress, even though Trump is not being replaced in a presidential election. The article does not state the election’s final result.

There is no exact number of Latino voters who changed their minds in the article. Instead, it gives survey percentages. A UnidosUS survey in September found that 46% of Latino respondents would not support Trump if voting again. Among Latinos who crossed party lines to support him in 2024, that figure rose to 57%.

The article describes the 2024 Latino vote as nearly evenly split between Trump and Kamala Harris. It also says some statistics showed male Latino support for Trump exceeded support for a Democratic candidate for the first time. This movement toward Trump was widely credited with helping him win the presidency.

The scale is therefore politically important even without a precise voter count. If many former Trump supporters now vote Democratic, Republicans could lose support in the midterms. The article says polls showed Trump’s Latino support had evaporated, but it does not provide a final turnout figure.

When arrests and deportations increase, families may be separated and communities can lose workers, customers, and relatives. Losing a work permit adds another danger. People who were legally working may no longer be able to continue their jobs, even when they have paid taxes and avoided criminal trouble. These effects spread beyond individual households.

Celia Salmerón says most of her salon’s clients had to leave or were deported. She says business dropped so sharply that she could not afford rent. José Flores estimates that at least 10 people close to him were detained or deported. One employee, a Salvadoran with TPS, was left uncertain after the program ended for El Salvador.

The local result is a weaker economy in neighborhoods that depend on immigrant workers and customers. The article describes Spanish-speaking businesses and Latin American shops in Hyattsville. It also shows that even Flores, whose air-conditioning business had more work, viewed community suffering as more important than his own financial improvement.

Temporary Protected Status is a U.S. program for people from certain countries that allows eligible workers to obtain work authorization for a limited period. It is temporary rather than a permanent residency program. When the government ends a country’s designation, beneficiaries may lose the permission that allowed them to work legally.

The article focuses on a Salvadoran employee of José Flores. Flores describes him as hardworking, tax-paying, and never in trouble. El Salvador’s TPS expired on September 9, and the administration had ended the program for at least 13 countries. The employee therefore faced uncertainty even though Flores believed he deserved residency.

The article says the administration had not spoken on the matter, leaving 170,000 Salvadorans in limbo. That uncertainty affects workers, employers, and families. People may not know whether they can keep working or what comes next. The example also deepened Flores’s criticism of the immigration policy he once supported.

Economic concerns and immigration promises pulled many Latino voters toward Trump in 2024. He said he would improve the economy and deport criminals. Some voters believed these messages because they wanted safer communities and better financial conditions. The article says the economy did not improve as promised, while deportations often affected people who were not criminals.

Immigration policy then changed voters’ judgments. Salmerón says her customers disappeared after leaving or being deported. Flores supports removing criminals but opposes targeting hardworking people. Ray Serrano says fake news on WhatsApp, YouTube, and Facebook also mattered. Messages falsely framed Democrats as socialists and warned that millions were “invading” the country.

These forces produced a Republican gain among Latinos, followed by disappointment. The article says Latino voters split almost evenly in 2024 and that their shift helped Trump win. Polls later found support had evaporated, suggesting that economic results, enforcement, and information sources could drive voters back toward Democrats.

A party can lose voters without permanently winning them for its opponent. Voters may judge a government’s performance, punish broken promises, or react to harm in their communities. That is different from adopting the opposing party’s entire platform. Political choices can be temporary and issue-based rather than expressions of deep party loyalty.

José Flores illustrates this distinction. He once believed Trump would remove criminals and improve the economy. He still agrees with removing criminals, but objects to deporting hardworking people. His Democratic vote follows disappointment with enforcement and the economy, not necessarily agreement with every Democratic position.

The article describes a similar movement among Latino voters. Support for Trump helped him win, but a UnidosUS survey found many would not support him again. That creates an opening for Democrats, yet the party must still earn those votes. If economic conditions or immigration policies change, these voters could remain flexible rather than permanently aligned.