U.S. President Donald Trump faces a sharp erosion of support among Hispanic voters, according to new polling that shows his approval sinking to its lowest point of his second term.
A Reuters survey released this week put Trump’s support among Hispanic voters at just 32 percent, the weakest level recorded since his return to the White House.
The decline is mirrored in the latest YouGov/Economist poll, which shows Hispanic respondents breaking 28 percent approve to 68 percent disapprove. That marks a steep drop from 35/65 in July, underscoring a month-to-month slide in Trump’s standing with a voting bloc that was critical to his victory over former President Joe Biden last year.
Data from SoCal Strategies underscores the trend: Hispanic disapproval of Trump has surged from 36 percent in January to 52 percent in August, a dramatic shift in just seven months.
Why It Matters
Since at least the 1960s, Hispanic voters in the U.S. have generally supported Democratic candidates. According to Pew Research Center, about 71 percent of the bloc supported former President Barack Obama in 2012 and 66 percent backed Hillary Clinton in 2016. In 2020, 63 percent chose Biden, according to AP VoteCast.
In 2024, however, Trump made significant gains. His support among Hispanic voters rose to 43 percent—an increase of 8 points from 2020 and the highest level for a Republican presidential candidate since such data has been tracked. Fifty-five percent supported former Vice President Kamala Harris, narrowing the Democratic advantage.
But recent polling suggests Trump’s momentum with Hispanics is fading.
Trump’s Immigration Crackdown Draws Backlash Among Hispanics
Clarissa Martínez de Castro, vice president for the UnidosUS Latino Vote Initiative, told Newsweek that Trump’s immigration crackdown is undermining his standing with Hispanic voters.
“Steve Miller, Tom Homan and Kristi Noem have succeeded where others have failed—their indiscriminate assault on America’s immigrants, rife with abuse of power, is eroding Trump’s approval numbers, and not just with Hispanics,” Martínez said.
Since beginning his second term, Trump has dramatically escalated immigration enforcement. His administration has launched mass deportation operations, revived thousands of old cases and increased raids in sanctuary cities. Federal funding for detention has surged, with $45 billion allocated to expand U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities and construct sprawling detention camps, including a controversial Florida site dubbed Alligator Alcatraz.
Polling suggests these policies are fueling anxiety and political backlash among Hispanic communities. A March Pew Research survey found that 42 percent of Hispanic adults worried they or someone close to them could be deported—far higher than the general population. YouGov/Economist polling shows Hispanic approval of Trump’s immigration approach stalled at 33 percent, while disapproval has risen from 64 percent in July to 66 percent in August. In the same survey, 61 percent of Hispanic respondents described Trump’s approach as “too harsh.”
SoCal Strategies polling echoes the divide. In August, 42 percent of Hispanics disapproved of Trump’s immigration policies compared with 47 percent in favor. Broader sentiment points to resistance of the administration’s agenda—65 percent of Hispanics backed automatic citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants in January, while 41 percent opposed full-scale deportations.
Trump has pushed aggressively on both fronts. In January, he signed an executive order seeking to end automatic birthright citizenship for children born to undocumented immigrants or temporary visa holders. The order attempts to reinterpret the 14th Amendment’s Citizenship Clause, which for generations has guaranteed citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil.
Economic Ripples in Hispanic Communities
Beyond politics, the administration’s hard-line enforcement is rippling through the economy. The Financial Times reported that heightened deportation fears, combined with rising living costs, have led to a pullback in Hispanic consumer spending. Companies like Colgate-Palmolive and Constellation Brands, the maker of Modelo beer, have seen sales fall in border states, with Constellation cutting growth forecasts as a result. Retailers like Walmart and Shoe Carnival also report weaker spending among low-income Hispanic shoppers. Analysts say the combination of inflation and immigration enforcement is driving many undocumented immigrants out of public life and dampening economic participation.
The timing is especially sensitive as the broader economy shows signs of strain. Inflation climbed to 2.7 percent in June, despite Trump’s campaign promise to “end inflation on day one.” Job growth slowed sharply in July, with just 73,000 jobs added, down from 147,000 the month before, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Hispanics, who have contributed more than 30 percent of U.S. gross domestic product growth since 2019 and command an estimated $2.4 trillion in buying power, remain vulnerable to these pressures. Census data shows Hispanic households earn about $65,500 in median income—far below the $93,900 average for white households—while Federal Reserve figures indicate 17 percent face instability from fluctuating earnings. The community is also heavily concentrated in blue-collar, service and construction jobs that are highly sensitive to inflation, high interest rates and immigration policy shifts.
Polling underscores the tension. In August, 24 percent of Hispanics identified the economy as their most important issue, with 16 percent citing inflation and 15 percent pointing to immigration.
Yet despite widespread concern, there are small signs of improving sentiment. YouGov/Economist surveys show Trump’s economic approval among Hispanics rising from 33 percent in July to 35 percent in August, while disapproval dropped from 64 percent to 61 percent. Views on inflation also improved slightly, with disapproval falling from 69 percent to 62 percent. And perceptions of personal finances ticked upward, with approval rising from 9 percent to 14 percent.
A SoCal Strategies poll in August found 48 percent of Hispanics said the economy was getting better, compared with 26 percent who said it was getting worse and 20 percent who saw no change.
Still, Martínez argues, the damage from Trump’s enforcement agenda is overshadowing any modest economic gains. “The president said he would deport criminals, yet his trio of executors are going after immigrant workers, arresting the parents of U.S. citizens taking their children to school, jailing people dutifully reporting to appointments with immigration authorities, and militarizing American cities,” she said. “The promise was order—what people are witnessing is chaos, intimidation, and abuse of power.”
The post Hispanic Voters Are Turning Against Donald Trump: Polls appeared first on Newsweek.
