“Latinos have become more pessimistic “Since the 2024 presidential election,” a new report from the Pew Research Center indicates. “The majority say their situation in the United States has worsened [and] Latinos are increasingly critical of their job performance and their administration's immigration and economic policies.” Specifically, 70% of Latinos disapprove of the way Trump is performing his job; 65% disapprove of the approach to immigration, while 61% say Trump's economic policies have worsened the country's economic situation. Among Latinos who voted for Trump, the percentage of those who approve of his job performance has dropped from 93% to 81%, a decrease of 12 percentage points. The report adds: "Almost all of Harris's Latino voters disapprove of the president," according to the poll. Latinos express pessimism. Hispanics or Latinos express pessimism about their situation in the United States. "Approximately two-thirds (68%) say the situation for Hispanics in the US today is worse than a year ago, while 9% say it is better and 22% say it is practically the same," the poll indicates. “This is the first time a majority of Hispanics say their situation has worsened in nearly two decades of Pew Research Center Hispanic surveys.” In 2016, Pew asked the same question among Latinos, and 26% felt the situation had worsened for them, but in 2019 that percentage rose to 39%. “When asked how the Trump administration's policies affect Hispanics in general, many more say they harm them rather than benefit them (78% versus 10%),” the report states. “These views are more critical than in 2019, when 69% said the policies of Trump's first administration were harmful to Hispanics.”

There is a question that addresses how Latinos feel about “belonging to the United States,” based on how the Trump presidency is shaping that feeling:“More than half (55%) say they have serious concerns about their place in the country, up from 48% in 2019.”

Immigration Concerns

With the increase in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, as well as other immigration policies of President Trump, 52% of Latinos say they are “very worried or somewhat worried about the possibility that they, a family member, or a close friend could be deported.”

“This represents an increase from 42% in March,” says Pew. “A majority of young adults, [Kamala] Harris voters, immigrants, and Central Americans now express this concern.”

59% say they have witnessed or heard about ICE raids or arrests in their community in the past six months, something that has impacted their daily routine.

“19% say they have recently changed their daily activities because they believe they will be asked to prove their legal status in the country,” the report says. “11% say they now carry a document proving their US citizenship or immigration status more often than usual.”

Expenses without the possibility of saving

The survey reveals that the majority of Hispanics continue to perceive their financial situation negatively.

“Nearly two-thirds (63%) say their financial situation is fair or poor,” the report says. “In contrast, 37% say they are in an excellent or good situation, a slight improvement over last year, when 30% gave this rating.”

Regarding how they spend their money, the 35% of Latinos say they struggled with food or groceries; 30% with health care; and 30% add that they struggled with rent or a mortgage.

“It is worth noting that approximately half of Latinos (48%) report having struggled to cover at least one of these three basic needs,” it states. “And Latinos who work full-time are just as likely as unemployed Latinos to say they have struggled to cover expenses for food, health care, and housing.”

Support for Trump

Pew highlights that in the 2024 election, Hispanic or Latino voters were among the groups most inclined to support the then-presidential candidate since 2016.

“Nearly half (48%) supported him in 2024, up from 36% in 2020 and 28% in 2016,” it indicates.

This data is important because Latinos are the second largest racial or ethnic group in the country, representing one in five Americans.

“They are also among the fastest-growing demographic groups in the United States, representing an increasing share of the country's population, electorate, and workforce,” the report specifies.