Latinos sour on Trump

(CN) — U.S. Latinos are increasingly critical of President Donald Trump nearly a year into his second term, with majorities disapproving of his job performance, immigration approach and economic impact, a new Pew Research Center report shows, underscoring rising pessimism among the nation’s second-largest ethnic group amid sharp partisan divides tied to the 2024 election.

The report, based on two surveys conducted by phone in September and October 2025, shows 70% of Latino adults disapprove of Trump’s job performance, including 55% who strongly disapprove. Disapproval of the administration’s immigration policies stands at 65%, while 61% say Trump’s economic policies, including tariffs and the “Big Beautiful Bill,” have worsened economic conditions.

Latinos’ views are more negative than during Trump’s first term. About 4 in 5 (78%) now say the policies have been harmful to Hispanics overall, up from 69% in 2019, and 55% express serious concerns about their place in America, compared with 48% in 2019.

Among Latinos who voted for Trump in 2024, 81% approve of his job performance, though this has declined from 93% earlier in the year. In contrast, 99% of those who voted for Kamala Harris disapprove. Similarly, 97% of Harris voters say Trump’s policies harm Hispanics, versus 34% of Trump voters.

Pew’s analysis notes that Latinos, who make up 1 in 5 Americans and are among the fastest-growing demographic groups, shifted toward Trump in the 2024 election. He received 48% of the Latino vote, up from 36% in 2020 and 28% in 2016, based on validated voter data.

Notably, for the first time in nearly two decades of Pew surveys, a majority of Latinos (68%) say the situation for Hispanics in the U.S. has worsened compared to a year ago, up from 26% in 2021 and 39% in 2019. Only 9% say it has improved, with 22% saying it remains about the same.

More than half (52%) expect further decline in the coming year, while fewer than 20% predict better times. One-third considered leaving the U.S. recently, mainly due to politics or living costs.

Views vary by demographics: 89% of Harris voters and 83% of Democrats see worsening conditions, compared with 31% of Trump voters and 43% of Republicans. Immigrants and second-generation U.S.-born Latinos are more pessimistic than third-or-higher-generation Latinos. Democrats, college graduates and U.S.-born Latinos are likelier to ponder emigration than Republicans, those with less education, or immigrants.

Luis Noé-Bustamante, a Pew research assistant and co-author of the study, explained the results show growing cynicism among Latinos, with most expressing a rising concern about deportation.

“Most Latinos say that the Trump administration’s economic policies have made economic conditions worse,” Noé-Bustamante said in a phone interview Monday. “Also, a majority, about two in three Latinos, disapprove of the administration’s approach to immigration, and most are critical of deportation enforcement, saying that the administration is going too far.”

He emphasized the significant partisan divide in Trump’s approval, with a historic majority saying Latinos are worse off than a year ago, and highlighted that affordability and economic issues are now more salient, with about half of Latinos struggling to meet basic needs in the past year. Yet, support among Trump’s base remains strong.

“A very strong majority of Latino Trump voters approve of the job he’s doing as president. But there is slight softening of that support,” he said. “At the same time, about half of Latinos say they struggled to afford food, medical care or rent in the past year.”

Despite U.S. Census data showing a 5.5% rise in median Hispanic household income to $70,950 and a poverty rate drop to 15.0% in 2024, 63% of Latinos rate their personal finances as only fair or poor, similar to 69% in 2024.

In the past year, 48% struggled with utilities (36%), food (35%), medical care (30%) or housing (30%). Full-time workers face these issues at rates similar to the unemployed, yet one-half (50%) expect financial improvement in the coming year, while 36% of workers worry about losing pay. Latinos worry more than U.S. adults overall (31% vs. 15%) about imminent or unexpected job loss.

On the national economy, 78% rate it as fair or poor, with 49% expecting worsening (up from 34% in 2024). Republicans’ positive ratings doubled to 40%, while Democrats’ fell to 11%. Top concerns include prices for food and consumer goods (67%), housing costs (65%), gas and energy (53%) and unemployment (50%).

Despite statewide elections in November resulting in gains for the Democratic Party, Noé-Bustamante said it may be too early to predict how the shifting views among Latinos may affect the midterm elections next year.

“Certainly something like this is really dependent on economic conditions in the country — on prices, but also income and employment,” he said. “But a lot of those factors could change, and that could influence how people are feeling about the direction of the country and the Trump administration.”

Latinos largely disapprove (65%) of Trump’s immigration approach, up from 56% in April. Seven in 10 (71%) say the administration is doing too much on deportations, up from 59% in February. Criticism has risen among Republicans (47%, up from 28%) and Democrats (88%, up from 76%).

Still, 68% support deporting at least some noncitizen immigrants (13% all, 55% some), with 30% saying none. Prior surveys show support for deporting violent criminals but not those with U.S. ties.

Over half (52%) worry about deportation for themselves or loved ones, up from 42% in March and higher than under President Joe Biden in 2021 or Trump’s first term in 2019. Nearly 60% report local ICE arrests or raids recently, and deportations leave nearly half feeling less safe locally.

Forty-three percent worry about proving legal status daily (up from 31%), with 19% changing routines as a result.

Pew’s National Survey of Latinos polled 4,923 Latino adults Oct. 6-16, with a September survey adding 629. Both bilingual efforts were weighted to reflect U.S. adults.

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