Latinos voted in record numbers for President Trump in 2024, but poll shows this electoral bloc is up for grabs in the midterms.
And one region that reflects this change is Miami-Dade County in Florida, where Latinos and Hispanics make up more than 70 percent of the population.
In January, CBS News met with Andrea Ramos and her husband in Doral, Florida, while they celebrated and follows closely the capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
Ramos, a naturalized Venezuelan U.S. citizen, told CBS News that she credits President Trump with Maduro’s capture. Doral has the largest Venezuelan population of any city in the country.
“I had such admiration for him,” Ramos told CBS News of his feelings for the president following Maduro’s arrest and extradition to the United States.
But about nine months later, his feelings changed.
“I’m disappointed,” Ramos said. “I feel, in a way, betrayed.”
Although disappointed with the economy, the Trump administration remains immigration crackdown this led Ramos to lash out at Mr. Trump and the Republican Party.
“Overall, I don’t feel like the law is being followed,” Ramos said.
According to a CBS News Battleground Tracker Poll Released earlier this month, 60% of likely Hispanic voters said they would likely support congressional Democrats in the upcoming midterms, compared to 39% who said they would likely support Republicans.
This marks a considerable change from 2024 CBS News exit polls, which found that 51% of Hispanics voted for Democrats, compared to 46% who voted for Republicans.
In the same new poll, 59% of Hispanic likely voters felt the Trump administration was trying to deport more people than they expected, compared to 51% of likely voters overall.
Asked in the poll about the Trump administration’s focus on deportation, 59% of Hispanic likely voters said it was too much, compared to 49% of likely voters overall.
Stephanie Caro’s family cafe in Doral is one of many local businesses that has seen a decrease in attendance and sales as masked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were photographed on city streets.
“I would say there is a heightened sense of fear,” Caro said.
Some local business owners said they feared they would have to close their doors.
“It has a real impact on the entire community,” Caro said. “People are afraid to leave their homes. They are changing their daily habits.”
Doral voted for Mr. Trump in 2024, driven by Venezuelan Americans who fled Maduro’s socialist regime.
But ICE is increasingly targeting asylum seekers who have pending cases and active work permits, as well as Mr. Trump’s close connections. to Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez impacted his support for Doral.
When CBS News asked Republican Doral Mayor Christi Fraga three times whether she still supported Mr. Trump, Fraga refused to give a direct answer.
“There are a lot of things that I support, and there are also questions that I have raised,” Fraga told CBS News.
Ramos remains undecided about who she will vote for in the upcoming midterm elections. On this issue, Fraga also refused to advise his constituents to vote Republican.
Fraga said: “Vote according to your conscience.”
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