A survey, conducted by over half a dozen Latino organizations including Somos Votantes and UnidosUS, has found that the majority of Latino voters oppose the mass deportations proposed by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. The survey, released on Tuesday, also showed that 62% of Latino voters supported Vice President Kamala Harris in the recent election, a figure higher than previously reported.
The poll is part of the American Electorate Poll, a critical cross-check on traditional exit polls which often rely on low and unrepresentative samples of Hispanic voters, and adds depth to our understanding of why and how Latinos and other groups voted.
Vanessa Cárdenas, executive director of America's Voice, said of the findings:
"We know that the American public, even amidst this year's results, opposes the Trump agenda of mass deportation, separation of families and his promises to 'un-document' and deport some with current legal status. American voters, and Latino voters in particular, still strongly support legal status for long-settled immigrants. In this poll and in the main network exit polls, when put head-to-head, the American people overall choose legal status for undocumented immigrants living here over deportation and that is even more true for Latino voters. So, let's be clear: Trump does not have a mandate for mass deportations or sending in the military to round up our immigrant neighbors or family members."
The survey found that 8 in 10 Hispanic voters (80%) support legislation to provide permanent residency to long-term undocumented immigrants, including "Dreamers," individuals brought to the U.S. as children. Additionally, 71% of Hispanic voters favor a bipartisan border security bill that failed in the Senate last February, which includes asylum restrictions, increases in Border Patrol and asylum officers, and enhanced U.S.-Mexico border security.
The study also revealed that eight out of ten Latino voters support a law that would grant long-term undocumented residents legal status. This survey sampled voters from key states like Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, as well as California, Florida, and Texas, and included 800 Puerto Rican voters.
Melissa Morales, president of Somos Votantes, stated that there is a need to "tell the complete story about this election." According to the survey, while Trump saw an increase in Latino support, it does not imply an endorsement of his more radical immigration policies. Clarissa Martínez de Castro, vice president of UnidosUS's Latino Vote Initiative, emphasized that a "supermajority opposes mass deportations."
About Latino voters' primary concerns, which were the main drives of voter intent on Election Day, the survey found that cost of living and inflation top the list at 52%, followed by jobs (36%) and affordable housing (27%). About the issues, Morales stated.
"There is dissonance between candidate choice and policy positions, with much greater support for policies supported by Democrats than for Democratic candidates. This is an area of strategic reflection for Democrats. For Republicans, the message is that many of the policies in their platform are opposed by a majority of American voters, including Latino supermajorities. Elected officials on both sides of the aisle would be wise to govern with those elements in mind, to keep or grow Hispanic support in future elections"
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