As President Donald Trump enters his second year of his second term, the nation’s 62 million Hispanics and Latinos are bracing for a turbulent 2026 shaped by economic uncertainty, shifting political allegiances, and intensified immigration enforcement. New polling and research released throughout late 2025 paint a complex picture of a community that is increasingly anxious about its future and deeply skeptical of the administration’s direction.
Across multiple surveys, Latino voters consistently identify the economy, affordability, and jobs as their top concerns heading into 2026. A sweeping national survey of 3,000 registered Latino voters found that 65% believe President Trump and congressional Republicans are not doing enough to improve the economy, a five‑point increase since April. Half of respondents said they expect Trump’s economic policies to make them personally worse off next year.
This economic pessimism is echoed in Pew Research Center’s late‑2025 analysis, which found that Latinos hold some of the bleakest views of their financial outlook in nearly two decades of polling. Many report feeling overworked, anxious, and politically alienated, with 68% saying the situation for Hispanics in the U.S. has worsened in the past year—the highest level ever recorded in Pew’s National Survey of Latinos.
While Trump made notable gains with Latino voters in the 2024 election, that support has eroded dramatically. An October 2025 AP‑NORC poll found that only 25% of Hispanic adults hold a favorable view of Trump, down from 44% earlier in the year. His job approval among Hispanics fell from 41% in March to 27% in October.
A separate Arizona Republic survey found that seven in ten Latinos disapprove of Trump’s job performance, citing dissatisfaction with the economy and immigration policies.
Yet the political landscape remains complicated. A POLITICO analysis revealed a rise in ticket‑splitting among Latino voters—many who supported Trump in 2024 also backed Democratic congressional candidates, signaling fluid and unpredictable voting patterns heading into the 2026 midterms.
Immigration remains a defining issue in Trump’s second term, and new data shows rising fear within Latino communities. Pew Research reports that about half of U.S. Latinos worry they or someone close to them could be deported, a significant increase from earlier in the year. Majorities of Latinos disapprove of Trump’s immigration policies, with four‑in‑five saying his policies harm Hispanics—a higher share than during his first term.
A December 2025 report from Climate Power en Acción found that Trump’s rollback of clean‑energy initiatives has disproportionately affected Latino communities. Since his reelection, 93 clean‑energy projects in Latino areas have been canceled, delayed, or forced to lay off workers, representing 70,780 lost jobs and nearly $14 billion in lost investment. Nationwide, more than 165,000 clean‑energy jobs have been lost or stalled since November 2024.
These setbacks are expected to deepen economic strain in states with large Latino populations, including Texas, Arizona, Nevada, and California.
As the 2026 midterm elections approach, Latino voters are signaling both disillusionment and determination. UnidosUS and Voces Unidas report that Latino voters are “sounding the alarm,” expressing frustration with Washington’s leadership and demanding action on affordability, immigration reform, and economic opportunity.
With Trump’s approval among Latinos at historic lows and economic pressures mounting, 2026 is shaping up to be a pivotal year—one that could redefine Latino political engagement and reshape the national landscape.
Trump’s Second Year and the Crossroads Facing Latinos was first published on the Latino News Network and was republished with permission.
Hugo Balta is the executive editor of the Fulcrum and the publisher of the Latino News Network
