Arizona Latino voters say Trump 'betrayed us' ahead of midterms

Fernando Nunez, a 22-year-old canvasser who once campaigned door-to-door for Donald Trump in Arizona's searing heat, now says the president has abandoned the promises that drew him to the Republican ticket, citing the administration's war with Iran and unmet pledges to release files in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.

Broken promises

Nunez, whose family has Mexican roots, had supported Trump's pledges to lower prices, end international wars and disclose Epstein case materials. "Trump betrayed us. He did a whole 180," he said, noting that his monthly earnings of $1,600 are now stretched thin by rising costs. "Gas, insurance, food: everything went up and is more expensive than ever. We're not supposed to be at war with Iran. We're only in this war because of Israel," he stated.

Shift in the Southwest

Yuma County, where Nunez resides, epitomizes the rightward shift among Latino voters that helped secure Arizona for Trump in 2024, with the Republican carrying the border jurisdiction by a 20-point margin. In Somerton, an agricultural town where nearly the entire population is Latino and traditionally favors Democrats, approximately 40 percent of residents backed Trump in the last presidential contest.

Mayor Gerardo Anaya, who leans left, attributed that surge to anger over inflation under former president Joe Biden and the daily arrival of thousands of migrants. "It was just a vote against the Biden administration," Anaya said, noting that those who chose Trump are now experiencing a "rude awakening" as economic pressures persist.

Immigration raids spark backlash

While migrant crossings at the border have dropped sharply, aggressive enforcement raids targeting immigrants without criminal records have alienated some former supporters. A gardener of Mexican descent who declined to give his name said he could no longer support a president who targeted non-criminals, declaring: "He said he was going to go after criminals. That's not what happened. He's a racist and that's it."

Jaime Sanchez, a 52-year-old hair salon owner who originally backed Trump for his opposition to abortion and stance on "family values," now finds himself troubled by policies that deport law-abiding adults and risk separating them from their American-born children. "When a family isn't united, there are greater dangers -- more gangs, more drugs -- because there's no role model to provide guidance," he said.

Uncertain allegiances

Jose Manuel Castro, an evangelical pastor in neighboring San Luis, told AFP he observes "a great deal of discontent" within his congregation, expecting many to cast protest votes in the November 3 elections rather than support Republican candidates. The 75-year-old conservative believes the long-term shift of religious Latino voters toward the Republican Party remains intact despite current frustrations, arguing that many reject Democratic positions on abortion and transgender rights. "The Democratic Party promotes things that run counter to the principles of the Word of God," he said.

Nunez plans to support independent candidates rather than Republicans or Democrats when polls open on November 3, while the Somerton gardener intends to abstain altogether. The midterm elections will determine control of Congress and test whether the Republican Party can maintain its gains in Arizona's Latino communities.