Most Latino voters feel anxious, frustrated or fearful about the country’s direction — and a growing number are blaming President Donald J. Trump, according to recent polls.
Trump’s support among Hispanic and Latino voters has significantly declined in the past seven months, according to the left-leaning Somos Votantes and Global Strategy Group. The shift is driven largely by dissatisfaction with the economy, a disconnect between voter priorities and policy focus and rejection of his Big Beautiful Bill.
A recent survey by this group shows 56% of Latino voters believe the economy has worsened since Trump began his second term in January. Jobs and the economy remain top concerns, yet many voters feel Trump and congressional Republicans are out of step. Sixty-four percent rated the economy as poor, with 32% calling it “very poor” — up from 28% in February.
Inflation, job insecurity, healthcare access and rising living costs top their list of concerns, issues many respondents believe have worsened under Trump.
Trump won a second term with the support of conservative Latino voters. While some of those voters continue to support Trump’s stricter immigration stance, others see those policies as distractions from other issues, such as the economy.
On social media, national groups like Latinos for Trump remain in support of the president.
“We support President Trump with his immigration policies. We don’t have a country if there is no law and order,” said Bianca Gracia, executive director of Latinos for America First. “If people love another country so much, they should go live there.”
Gracia’s comment reflects the ideological divides within Latino communities across the country, including Fresno. A majority of Latino voters supported to the Republican party, according to an Equis preliminary study. They found Latino support grew since the 2016 election. There is a assumption Latinos are expected to vote Democrat, but the population has diverse viewpoints. Another study after the election, by the Pew Research Center, found 48% of Latinos/Hispanics voted for Trump.
Blanca Miriam Porras, a Clovis business owner and conservative activist, says Trump has had a successful second term.
“Because without Trump, I think we’re doomed. I don’t think any of the Republicans can hold the candle to him,” Porras said. “I actually believe that he was chosen by God for these days, for this time. Even though I don’t believe he can fix the situation.”
Born in Chihuahua, Mexico, Porras became a U.S. resident through President Ronald Reagan’s 1986 amnesty program. She has since owned several businesses in California and raised a family in the Central Valley. Her views are rooted in Christianity and a deep belief in American exceptionalism.
She supports strict border security and has personal stories of cartel violence affecting her family in Mexico. But Porras also advocates for a path to legalization for some longtime undocumented immigrants.
For Porras, immigrants who have worked, never taken government money and have no criminal record should be given amnesty.
She rejects identity-based politics, and even labels like “Latino” or “Mexican-American.”
“There’s no such thing. You’re either an American or you’re not. If you come here, then you’re an American,” she said. “If you ask to be a citizen or a resident, it’s because you want to belong here.”
Other Latino voters in the Central Valley feel differently.
California’s Central Valley remains politically complex. Despite large Latino populations, it has long leaned conservative. In 1994, Proposition 187, which aimed to bar undocumented immigrants from public services passed in Fresno County with nearly 59% support.
“It’s ridiculous to think all Latinos will have the same ideology,” said Jesús Martínez, executive director of the Central Valley Immigrant Integration Collaborative (CVIIC).
Some Latinos who support Trump’s immigration stance come from immigrant families. For these voters, assimilation and legal status shape their values. But Martínez warns that political alignment doesn’t shield anyone.
“Some adopt the rhetoric that undocumented immigrants are criminals, even as their own families are affected,” Martínez said.
For some, that realization came after the election.
A second-generation Fresno college student, who declined to be identified, said he voted for Trump in 2024 — reluctantly and with little research — after independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. joined Trump’s campaign.
“I didn’t like either candidate,” he said. “But I thought maybe Trump and RFK would try something different. I saw it as a choice between two negatives.”
Looking back, he says the decision was driven by poor information and social media.
“Honestly, it was foolish,” he said. “I trusted the wrong media sources. I didn’t ask questions or do any real research. I just thought, ‘Oh, gas was cheaper last time Trump was in office maybe it’ll go down again.’”
Since then, he’s grown disturbed by recent immigration raids and their impact on families.
“My grandparents immigrated legally, and they used to say, ‘We did it right, so others should too.’ That influenced me. But I’ve realized not everyone has that privilege.”
When asked how he feels about his vote now, he paused.
“I am embarrassed because I don’t feel like I’m an unintelligent person, but I feel like I made a very unintelligent choice,” he said. “I’m definitely gonna be a lot more careful now if I ever do vote again.”