Why a growing number of Florida Latinos are supporting Trump's hardline stance on immigration

SEATTLE - The number of Latinos who support former President Donald Trump is increasing, especially in places like Florida. A recent poll by the Florida Atlantic University and Mainstreet Research found that the gap between President Joe Biden and Trump with the demographic is much closer than before, with the incumbent leading by just 3.8 percentage points nationally, 38.6% to 34.8%.

Nationally, Latino support for Trump has seen a slow and steady increase since he first entered the American politics landscape ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Biden won 63% of the Latino vote in 2020, however, Trump improved his numbers from 2016, getting an 11-point improvement in Florida (45%) and securing 41 to 47 of Latino votes in several heavily Latino border counties in the Rio Grande Valley region.

Though President Biden remains likely to win a majority of the Latino vote nationally, Democrats have lost the confidence of many Latinos when it comes to immigration policy, with one survey from Equis Research finding that registered Latino voters trust Trump more than Biden on this issue.

But how is the Republican party luring more and more Latinos to switch their allegiance? Experts such as Alex Berrios, CEO and co-founder of Mi Vecino, an organization focused on voter rights and outreach, said Latinos in South Florida are connecting immigration to other top issues such as the economy and public safety because Trump links them together.

Others, such as Armando Ibarra, chairman of the Miami Young Republicans, said that for some Latino immigrants, the situation at the border reminds them of their home countries where the rule of law might not be as strong.

At this week's Republican National Convention, several high-profile Republicans doubled down on Trump's characterizations of undocumented immigrants, painting them under the light of criminals and lawbreakers. "Every day, Americans are dying. Murdered, assaulted, raped by illegal immigrants that the Democrats have released," said Cuban-American Senator Ted Cruz, of Texas.

Berrios told the Miami Herald that Latinos who support Trump disassociate themselves from these negative depictions. "When we talk to Latinos, they're not hearing, 'Oh, he's calling Latinos like me rapists and criminals, even though I'm also an immigrant,'" he said. "He's talking about those actual criminals that are over there."

Republicans have also used their conservative views to align with Latinos in terms of their faith. "Hispanics want to see strong families," said David Borrero, member of the Florida House of Representatives. "They don't identify with the LGBTQ agenda. They don't want that shoved down their throats," he added.

Whatever the reason might be, Latino votes will have a huge impact on this year's election. There are more than 24 million registered Latino voters, making up 13% of all registered voters and these numbers are larger than the expected margin of victory in seven presidential swing states, 13 Senate races and 45 House races.