It’s too late to get their money back, but Latinx voters are expressing buyer’s remorse after electing President Donald Trump. More than half of Latinx voters confidently casted their ballots for him, and after just 108 days of Trump back in the White House, folks are having regrets... but it’s way too late!
Since Trump’s return, mass deportations have disproportionately shaken Hispanic communities nationwide. Recent news of Trump rescinding the Temporary Protected Status for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan migrants was immediately met with backlash within the Latinx community, who thought they’d be protected from Trump’s onslaught of attacks on migrants.
Adelys Ferro, the director of the Venezuelan American Caucus, told NPR he feels “beyond betrayed” by the administration. “They used us,” Ferro said, and he’s not the only one. The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported on a family of MAGA Latinos who tearfully shared how their son was taken to an ICE detention center despite him having a green card.
But while many in the Latinx community continue to express their disbelief for Trump’s actions, Black people are sitting back like “we told you so.” On X, @NaClyCem, pointed out how Black Americans warned their Latinx brothers and sisters “Trump is racist and is going to deport anyone who is not the right color. Latinos should not support him,” but not enough people listened.
Black people, in fact, began warning about Trump over a decade ago. In 2015, the Latinx community found its way at the center of the immigration debate after Trump repeatedly villainized Hispanic migrants. But despite the president targeting “rapists” and “terrorist gang members” coming from across the Southern border, thousands of Latinx voters still sang along to “I will vote for Donald Trump” jingles at rallies before showing up and out for Trump... twice.
Now, Trump is honoring his self-proclaimed “mandate” to tackle immigration, and in response, thousands of protestors continue to flood the streets— many in cities with majority Latinx populations like San Antonio and Miami, according to Texas Public Radio and the Miami Herald.
Tensions only rose more after stories of folks like Kilmar Abrego Garcia made national headlines. Garcia was arrested and deported to El Salvador, despite a judge’s 2019 order barring him from being sent there, according to NBC News. The Trump administration continues to claim Garcia is an active member of a dangerous gang, but a different judge ordered his return back to the states. Trump refuses to do so.
Many in the Black community empathize with stories like Garcia’s. @Biz4Ever tweeted, “Because many of us have been falsely accused & sentenced but not released, we actually can relate more to Kilmar Abrego Garcia” compared to Trump, who claimed to relate to Black folks after being convicted on 34 felonies.
But on the other side, most folks aren’t as concerned considering the 51 percent of pro-Trump Latinx voters, according to exit polls. @notcapnamerica asked, “What are we supposed to do with this information,” referring to the AJC’s article. @DrAlbertUtd responded, “We used all our empathy when we voted for the women that wouldn’t have done this,” referencing former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Is the Black community heartless for this so-called “lack of empathy?” No, but they are frustrated not only with Trump but also with the Latino people who put him back in office, against their own interests. The president has a “deport now and ask questions later” motto, and unfortunately, the Latinx community will likely continue to bear the brunt of it.