Latinx voters firmly reject the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant policies, according to bipartisan polling released on the eve of the first 2020 Democratic presidential debates, supporting a path to citizenship for undocumented youth, a serious overhaul of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and a fair process for Central Americans to seek asylum.
Among the stand-outs in the polling, designed by Univision News, conducted by Latino Decisions and North Star Opinion Research, is the overwhelming support for Dreamers: nearly 85% of respondents agreed that undocumented immigrant youth should be put on a path to citizenship, while nearly 80% of respondents also agreed that vulnerable families deserve a fair shot at asylum. This is immense support for two groups repeatedly attacked by the administration.
More than 67% of respondents also said they agreed that the out-of-control ICE agency “needs to be seriously overhauled and maybe even abolished.” That number comes just days after the Trump administration temporarily called off a series of raids that would have reportedly targeted as many as 2,000 families in up to ten major cities, in an effort to both terrorize immigrant communities and politicize them for electoral gain.
However, the polling also revealed that both parties still have work to do, and that these voters should not be taken for granted. While 76% of respondents agreed that “When I hear some Republican politicians talk about immigration and border security, it makes me feel like they are racist against immigrants and Latinos,” the polling said that “only half of the respondents, 55%, think that Democrats are doing a good job communicating to them.”
Researchers said that parties have ample opportunity to make inroads. “When you look at issues that they care the most about,” Dr. Sergio Garcia-Rios of North Star Opinion Research told Daily Kos, “there’s concrete policies that they want to see: healthcare, jobs, improving wages. It seems to me … that immigration continues to be important,” but “they really want action” on a number of other issues.
In fact, respondents said they’d be more likely to vote for a candidate who “would do more to uphold equal rights for gay, lesbian and transgender Americans,” who would do more on gun safety issues, as well as expand on “investment and development of renewable energy sources such as solar power, wind power and other green energy sources.”
There’s room to make progress here, because Democrats have the policy proposals, and Latinx voters appear to be enthused: “68% of Latino registered voters feel that this presidential election will be more important than 2016 and 74% say they are planning to vote in it.” Only 19% said they intend to vote for Donald Trump, while “63% say they have decided to vote for a Democratic candidate or are leaning toward a Democrat in the 2020 presidential election.”
The messages are clear, and Democrats need to be listening: respondents overwhelmingly oppose Trump administration policies, but they’re also seeking a place at the table, and want to have issues important to them addressed with them. “I think Latinos are clear on what they want,” said Dr. Garcia-Rios. “What they’re not clear on is if the candidates will get them there.”