Latino Pessimism Surges in US According to New Poll

4 hours ago7 min read2 comments

A profound and unsettling shift is occurring within the fabric of American society, one that a new Axios-Ipsos Latino Poll, conducted in partnership with Noticias Telemundo, captures with stark clarity. The data reveals a surge in collective despair, with nearly two in three Latinos now stating it is a bad time to be Latino or Hispanic in the United States.This represents a dramatic spike in pessimism since just last year and a complete reversal from the sentiment three years ago, painting a portrait of a community whose sense of optimism, safety, and belonging has plunged since President Trump took office. The survey functions as a critical social barometer, showing that majorities want the current administration to halt ICE raids and deportations, and a disturbing 53% now worry that they or a loved one will be attacked simply because of their ethnic heritage, a significant increase from the 39% recorded before Trump's presidency.This is not merely a political statistic; it is a deeply human crisis, reflecting the daily anxieties of families who feel increasingly vulnerable and unseen in their own country. The alienation is politically bipartisan, signaling warning lights for both parties as we look toward the 2026 elections.Many Latinos now describe feeling politically homeless, caught between a Republican party whose rhetoric and immigration crackdowns are fueling palpable fear, and a Democratic party that has lost the trust of a group long considered a cornerstone of its base. The numbers tell a compelling story of this rapid decline: where 65% felt it was a good time to be Latino in October 2022, that figure has catastrophically fallen to just 31% today, while the negative perception has skyrocketed to 65%.This sentiment is now intensely politicized, with a chasm opening between partisan identities—64% of Republican Latinos maintain a positive outlook, compared to a mere 16% of Latino Democrats, a polarization that was virtually nonexistent in the March 2024 polling. Beyond partisan identity, core pillars of the American experience are crumbling for this demographic.Only 40% now say the U. S.makes them feel they belong here, down from 51%, and the belief in achieving the American Dream has dropped to 44% from 53%. Mallory Newall, vice president for U.S. public affairs at Ipsos, articulates the core of the issue, noting that neither major party is effectively making Latinos feel woven into the fabric of American society, and that the issues that matter most to them—getting inflation under control, lowering health care costs, and creating jobs—are not being addressed, leading to a pessimistic lived experience.Intriguingly, this broad disillusionment has not yet significantly eroded Trump's overall favorability among Latinos, which sits at 30%, but it has narrowed the Democratic Party's advantage on representation. Concurrently, the poll indicates a significant evolution in views on immigration policy itself; support for allowing the president to shut U.S. borders has plummeted from 64% to 44%, and backing for sending all undocumented immigrants back to their country of origin has dropped from 38% to 31%.This suggests a complex, nuanced perspective within the community, one that prioritizes economic stability but is increasingly wary of harsh enforcement measures that directly impact their sense of security and community, with 31% reporting that ICE actions have changed how they go about their daily lives. The collective message is one of a community in search of belonging, grappling with a political landscape that often seems to overlook their fundamental concerns while amplifying their fears.

#featured

#Latino community

#immigration policy

#political alienation

#economic concerns

#ICE raids

#public opinion poll