Trump’s immigration crackdown is driving off Latino voters, as it fires up MAGA

Immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump is splitting his coalition: hardline Republicans cheer it on, while a number of Latino voters who backed him in 2024 are souring ahead of the midterms, according to MS NOW's reporting from Arizona.

Researchers at the Deportation Data Project, run jointly by UCLA and UC Berkeley, examined Immigration and Customs Enforcement bookings through July 2026. Roughly three-quarters of those people, 73. 5%, had never been convicted of any crime. Another 24. 8% had a nonviolent conviction, and just 1. 6% had a violent one. That sits uneasily with the administration's pledge to target the "worst of the worst."

Jesús Cardiel, 73, of Surprise, a Republican-leaning voter motivated by abortion, said innocent people are being deported and predicted it will hurt Republicans at the polls. Unai Cutino, a 45-year-old Phoenix HVAC worker who supported Trump three times, now regrets it. An NBC News/Telemundo survey this month put Trump's approval among Latino voters at 27%, with 69% disapproving of his immigration record.

Among rally-goers in Bullhead City, support held firm. Deanne McCarter, 64, defended ICE even after shootings in Austin and New York City.

Summarized by PolitiKool from MS NOW’s reporting. Read the full story at MS NOW →