Latinos' Top Concerns Are the Economy and Healthcare; Immigration? Not so Much

As the 2024 presidential elections approach, Latinos are more concerned about the economy and healthcare than they are with immigration, according to a new national survey from UnidosUS.

The survey, which involved of over 3,000 eligible Latino voters from Arizona, California, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Texas, found that inflation, the labor market and the economy are currently the biggest concerns for this demographic.

Over half of the respondents stated that elected officials need to address the rising cost of living. They also mentioned being worried about being laid off and about unsafe working conditions.

Reproductive rights and Medicaid, a form of federal health coverage administered by U.S. States, were also important issues for Latino voters. According to the UnidosUS survey, 71% of respondents oppose restrictions on abortion, while 80% believe that Medicaid should be expanded in states where it is still limited.

Immigration remains an important issue for Latinos, but not as important as it once was. According to the survey, they support citizenship pathways for Dreamers and long-term immigrants; however, only 20% of respondents noted that immigration was their biggest concern.

The figure is sizably smaller than the 42% of registered Latino respondents from a 2014 Pew Research survey who noted that immigration was their biggest concern.

Another area in which Latino support is shifting is over political parties. Latinos have historically voted in favor of Democratic candidates, but in recent years, the party has hemorrhaged support from the demographic. The UnidosUS survey shows Latinos are reevaluating their political support as they "modestly" support Democrats over Republicans, according to the data.

According to data from a Cygnal poll, President Biden's lead over former President Trump has diminished in states with large Hispanic electorates such as Florida, Texas Nevada and Arizona. However, Biden still leads in those states over Trump 47 to 43. A separate poll also showed that Trump has gained more support from Latinos since the 2016 election. Concretely, the figures increased from 28 percent in 2016 to 36 percent in 2020, and in 2022 Republicans got 39 percent of the Latino vote, the highest percentage since 2004.

The UnidosUS survey also analyzed different issues and asked Latinos which party they trusted more to address the issue. It found that regarding jobs and the economy, 37% of Latinos trust Democrats, 27% trust Republicans, 10% trust neither party and 16% trusted both parties. With inflation, 35% of respondents trusted Democrats to get inflation under control, 23% trusted Republicans, 19% trusted neither and 17% trusted both parties.

On issues of healthcare, crime and affordable housing, Latinos were more likely to trust Democrats.

Other research has also shown the growing disconnect with Latinos and the Democratic Party, and a Brookings Institute survey found that 37% of Latinos believe that Biden and the Democrats don't care about the Hispanic community.