Nevada's Latino community is largely divided over whether to support former President Donald Trump or Kamala Harris as the elections get closer. For some, his economic policies outweigh concerns over his harsh stance on immigration. For others, Trump's inflammatory language and promises of mass deportations remain an insurmountable obstacle.
Javier Barajas, a Las Vegas restaurant owner who previously supported Hillary Clinton and hosted President Joe Biden at one of his five establishments, told The New York Times he now backs Trump due to rising costs of ingredients and fuel, which he largely blames on the Democratic administration. He specifically mentioned the price of eggs, which have tripled over the past years, as a factor.
"I don't trust Trump 100 percent, but much better than Kamala. I know he is going to make mistakes, but I know he is going to do much better for this country," Barajas told the outlet.
His nephew, artist Justin Favela, shares similar economic concerns but says he is unwilling to vote for Trump. Favela, despite struggling with rising rents and material costs, is largely troubled by Trump's past comments about immigrants. "To still vote for somebody that called everybody from Mexico rapists shows you're not interested in supporting humanity," he said, opting instead to support Vice President Kamala Harris, albeit reluctantly.
Latinos represent 20 percent of Nevada's electorate, making them a key voting bloc as Harris currently leads by less than one percentage point in the battleground state, according to FiveThirtyEight's polling average.
Trump's immigration policies and rhetoric have been central to his campaign. He has promised to launch "the largest mass deportation operation in history" and has portrayed unlawful migrants as a violent threat to American society.
In contrast, Vice President Harris's campaign has emphasized stabilizing the economy and improving border security. Harris has focused on Spanish-language media and economic proposals in the state, mostly targeting Latino voters frustrated with the current situation.
Trump's appeal among Latinos grew from 28 percent in 2016 to 36 percent in 2020, but a recent poll from the outlet still shows Harris leading nationally, with 56 percent of the support.
As Election Day approaches, both campaigns are intensifying their efforts. Last week, Vice President Kamala Harris made her pitch to undecided Latino voters during an unscripted town hall hosted by Univision in Las Vegas. There, she conveyed the message that, unlike her opponent, she is a champion of the middle class and vowed to continue President Joe Biden's asylum crackdown at the border.
As for Trump, he recently heard from a former undocumented immigrant who plans to vote for him in the 2024 presidential election. Although he aims to win over Latino voters, the Republican candidate continues to intensify his anti-immigrant rhetoric. Despite these attacks—most of which are aimed at the Latino community, given that they constitute a large portion of those seeking to migrate to the U.S.—a recent New York Times/Siena College poll found that most Latinos do not feel personally targeted by his statements.
Specifically, two-thirds of those surveyed said they believed Trump was not referring to people like them when he spoke about immigrants, while 50% of foreign-born Latino voters felt the same way. Furthermore, the poll revealed what researchers labeled as "striking signs of support for Mr. Trump's most aggressive immigration policies.
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