‘He’s Doing What He Said’: Why Latino Support for Trump Is Still Holding Steady

It’s 2025, and Latinos are still backing Donald Trump—even as he ramps up mass deportations. And honestly? We’re not shocked.

Despite protests in Los Angeles, ICE raids causing fear in immigrant communities, and National Guard deployments on U.S. soil, many Latino voters are standing by the president. Why? According to new focus groups reported by NBC News, the answer is layered. And it reveals a deeply complicated relationship between policy, identity, and survival.

Let’s break it down.

Latinos are still backing Trump—yes, even after the ICE raids

NBC News observed focus groups of Latino Trump voters from key swing states, conducted as part of the 2025 Deciders series led by Syracuse University and research firms Engagious and Sago. What they found: Despite some unease about mass deportations, most of the participants still support Trump.

Ten of the 13 participants approved of the president’s decision to deploy National Guard troops and Marines to California in response to protests against ICE raids in Los Angeles. Several described the protests as “violent” and “destructive.”

“These idiots are trying to tear down their city,” said Irma C., a 58-year-old Arizona voter of Mexican descent.

Others, like Rozlyn C., a Cuban American voter in Georgia, defended the military response as preventative. “Given the [Black Lives Matter] riots and everything our country went through a few years ago… I think that he had to get ahead of it,” she said.

Not everyone agreed. “There is a chain of command that has to be followed,” said Justin O., a voter from Nevada. “Now, he’s just completely gone against that.” He later added, “The U.S. military should never be used against its own citizens ever. Period. Ever.”

Latino support for Trump is complicated—but real

Here’s the headline: these voters are conflicted, but not enough to walk away.

According to NBC News, most of the voters in the group still approve of Trump’s approach to immigration. While some expressed discomfort with deporting immigrants who haven’t committed crimes, many echoed support for a hardline stance.

“If you came here illegally, you’ve done something illegal. Expect the consequences,” said Justin O.

“There’s some that are going back because they should,” said Jennifer L., a 44-year-old voter from Michigan. “But then there are also some immigrants that are going that really, maybe they haven’t committed a crime.”

Oscar B., a Venezuelan-born voter in Pennsylvania, added that “people that are not criminals” are also getting deported. He believes Trump’s strategy needs to be more “tailored.”

Still, the overarching sentiment was approval. “He’s keeping his promises and he’s doing what he said he was going to do,” said David L., a Georgia voter who grew up in Mexico.

Latino support for Trump is rooted in fear—and frustration

For many of these voters, support for Trump isn’t just ideological. It’s emotional.

Ruby L., a Colombian American voter in Georgia, said she’s seen a “lot of fear” in her community. “They’re afraid to go out and [they say], ‘Don’t go out if you’re a citizen, don’t go out without your citizenship certificate or whatever because you never know.’”

Oscar from Pennsylvania has seen similar panic on social media. On local Facebook pages for Latinos, he says, people warn each other about ICE’s presence in the area. “They make posts where they talk about ICE being in the city and not to go out of your house.”

Still, that fear hasn’t shifted overall support. As Margaret Talev, director of Syracuse University’s Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship, told NBC News: “Overwhelmingly they’re still supporting President Trump, showing the resilience of their loyalty.”

Latino support for Trump is also about the economy

If there’s one thing these voters agree on, it’s this: Trump is good for their wallets.

Most of the focus group participants said they feel less anxious about the economy since Trump returned to office in January. According to moderator Rich Thau of Engagious, “The reduced anxiety reflects not only their experiences as consumers, but also their faith in President Trump as businessman-turned-leader.”

William A., a 60-year-old Puerto Rican small-business owner in Georgia, said Biden’s presidency led to rising oil prices and higher business costs. Now, under Trump, he’s feeling relief. “He’s raising our fuel production and lowering fuel costs,” he said.

Mariana L., a Venezuelan-born voter in North Carolina, agreed. She’s noticed grocery prices going down. “Trump being a businessman is just what he does,” she said.

But Jennifer in Michigan isn’t buying it. “Prices here have gone up and have stayed up,” she said, pointing out that instead of prioritizing inflation, Trump focused on “renaming the Gulf of Mexico the ‘Gulf of America.’”

Some cracks are forming—but not enough to break loyalty

Despite the broad support, there were a few who expressed regret about backing Trump. According to NBC News, two voters who had flipped from Biden to Trump in 2024 said they would now prefer to vote third-party.

Ruby, the Colombian American voter, said she disapproved of Trump’s mass deportation strategy. “He was going to deport people that were criminals and have backgrounds,” she said. “But I see that he’s deporting people that work hard and have been in this country.”

Still, for many others in the group, the legal system—not Trump—is the problem. “Sometimes the law makes it nearly impossible for a lot of them to actually become citizens,” said Maria P., a Puerto Rican voter in Nevada. “That’s what we have to realize.”

Even voters who disagreed with the strategy said they believed in the bigger picture. “I think he has a grand master plan that most of us probably don’t understand,” said Rozlyn C. “But I have faith that he, a hundred percent, has the best interest of our country at heart.”