FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Progressive groups seeking to reconnect with Latino voters highlight economic hardship and emphasize the importance of the president. donald trump’s Republican leaders set mass deportation agenda to restore support penetrated.
The $1.4 million digital advertising and field campaign is being led by a Democratic endowment fund backed by a progressive network called Way to Win, which was launched after Trump won the White House in 2016. Valiente Action Fund’s efforts aim to connect with voters in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Texas by convincing them that while some of President Trump’s economic promises remain unfulfilled, immigration policies are moving forward. too far.
Tory Gavito, a Democratic strategist and president of Way to Win, said the group is moving toward “well-experienced” conversations with Latinos about housing and the cost of living, without abandoning its legal challenge to Trump’s hard-line immigration approach during his second term as president. Use of helicopters and chemicals In Chicago.
“Chicago’s has to be more than a canary in the coal mine,” Gavito said. “This administration is taking extreme enforcement measures to distract from the fact that housing prices are still too high and rents are still too high.”
President Trump has promised to expel millions of people from the United States. Largest deportation program in American history. Gavito said the Trump campaign was successful in crafting a message around “lack of resources” and blaming immigrants for stealing jobs. She said some voters wanted “access to a thriving economy” and were persuaded.
There are already signs of President Trump’s immigration crackdown May impact the U.S. labor market. A report released in July by the Brookings Institution and the conservative American Enterprise Institute found that the loss of foreign workers could reduce monthly U.S. job growth to near zero or negative over the next few years.
The fight for Latino support
Nationally, Hispanic voters shifted significantly toward Trump in the last election, but still support Democrat Kamala Harris, with 43% of Hispanic voters nationwide voting for Trump, up from 35% in the 2020 presidential election, which Trump lost. Hispanic voters in Texas and Florida similarly turned to Trump by wide margins. There were slight changes to him in New Jersey, New York and Arizona, but no major changes in Nevada or Georgia.
Democratic Party operatives and strategists Advise candidates to focus on voters’ wallets To reverse the trend.
The progressive group’s on-the-ground efforts include partnering with local groups to knock on doors in what they call “deep outreach,” holding long conversations about voters’ concerns and trying to gather support to launch specific ballot initiatives.
Efforts underway in New Jersey
In New Jersey, gubernatorial election This year’s ads are not specific to the gubernatorial race, but began appearing earlier this month criticizing Trump for supporting Republican candidate Jack Ciatarelli.
The digital ad shows images of Latinos and a narrator says Immigration and Customs Enforcement is after people who “look like him, look like her, look like us,” echoing concerns about racial profiling by human rights groups. Supreme Court Judgment Last month, the path was paved for stronger immigration operations. restraining order It prohibited arrests based on a combination of four factors: race and ethnicity. language; location; and occupation.
Another ad shows photos of billionaires Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, and a narrator talks about rising food and electricity costs.
One ad describes how the immigrant advocacy group Make the Road New Jersey passed a ballot initiative to cap rents in the predominantly Hispanic city of Passaic. Passaic was a Democratic city in 2016, but backed Trump in 2024. The ad criticizes Trump and Republican lawmakers who oppose rent caps, saying rents are still rising in other parts of New Jersey.
“We serve as a bellwether that resonates passionately with voters,” said Neddy Morsy, director of Make the Road New Jersey, adding that the message is being tested ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
Support for Latinos in other states
In Nevada, he is targeting Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, who is seeking re-election. competitive race In swing states that President Trump ran in 2024.
Leo Murietta, director of Make the Road Nevada, takes Lombardo to task for actions he has taken on the economy, including his veto of a bill that added tenant protections.
“We have to do everything we can to let our gentlemen know who is supporting us and who is stabbing us in the back,” Murrieta said, using the Spanish word for people.
