Donald Trump was officially sworn in as the 47th President of the United States, marking a historic shift to the right amongst Americans, especially for Hispanic voters. In fact, 48 of the 50 states leaned red instead of blue and over 2,600 counties in America shifted towards the GOP, compared to just 301 that shifted towards the Democrats.
Within the Hispanic community, there was a historic 14 point swing towards Trump. But now that these voters have put Trump in the White House, what do they want? And can Trump deliver?
Despite widespread media narratives about Hispanics being too racist, or misogynistic to vote for Kamala Harris, survey findings and my everyday conversations with Hispanic voters reveal a more sophisticated and nuanced perspective—one that balances economic optimism under Trump with concerns about immigration and trade policies.
Arguably one of Trump’s biggest pitches to voters was immigration reform. One may assume that a majority of Hispanic voters are steadfast against deportations. But in reality, deporting criminals is a widely popular idea across America and within the Hispanic community.
In fact, our survey of 2,700 of our members found that 73% of Hispanic voters support the deportation of criminals. But in contrast, less than 20% support mass deportations. This represents a line in the sand that Hispanic voters have drawn: We agree with removing those that are a risk to our nation and people, but we will never support widespread deportations that could lead to legal, contributing members of our community being thrown to the wind.
Another significant point of concern for Hispanic voters is Trump’s trade policies and threats of tariffs. For the Hispanic community, this is especially true when it comes to the proposed 25% tariffs on Mexican imports. Hispanic families and businesses exist in a binational reality.
A significant amount of us have family across the border, or do cross-border business. With 66% of Hispanics that we surveyed opposing these tariffs, it’s clear that the economic damage would be untenable. Everything from car parts to gas, finished goods, food and alcohol could experience monumental price increases.
However, after weathering pandemic-driven shutdowns and inflationary pressures, Hispanic voters are hungry for growth, lower taxes, and fewer regulations. This is why 70% of Hispanic voters that we surveyed believe that Trump’s policies would improve the economy, their business and/or their community.
Further, 60% believed Trump’s policies would create new opportunities for them. From trade workers to family-owned restaurants and cutting-edge startups, these voters are eager for policies that spur hiring, cut red tape, and streamline taxes. They believe Trump’s promises of reduced regulation can unleash growth, and there’s a real sense of optimism that new jobs and investments will follow.
Central to this optimism is Trump’s promise to unleash American energy, specifically by removing hurdles for the exploration and production of traditional energy. While the United States has led the world in oil production for years, it has also led the world in consumption. And that consumption is growing.
Coupled with the past four years of kneecapping the traditional energy sector, this led to rapidly growing energy prices that acted as an invisible tax on everything from plastics to rubber, gas, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, asphalt, fertilizer and more. As a result, 66% of Hispanic voters that we surveyed support the idea of unleashing American energy. They see lowering energy prices as a way to combat a rapidly climbing cost of living, and will surely be eager for Trump to fulfill his promise.
Hispanic voters took a gamble in November of 2024, betting that Trump will fulfill his promises of economic prosperity – and hoping that he would stray from his commitment to mass deportations and extreme tariffs.
This administration can either cement Hispanic support by delivering tangible results, or risk losing the trust it worked so hard to earn. If they succeed, Trump won’t just have won the election—he’ll have earned the lasting confidence of a community that’s reshaping the American political landscape.
_______________
Javier Palomarez is the President & CEO of the United States Hispanic Business Council (USHBC). The United States Hispanic Business Council (USHBC) is a voice for the Hispanic business community. A 501(c)6 non-profit organization, the USHBC focuses on improving access to contracting in the public and private sector, fair representation of Hispanics in business, media, and politics and ensuring Hispanics have a voice in the national dialogue. The USHBC is a nonpartisan organization. Follow @JPalomarez @myushbc.