Donald Trump Handed Latino Boost

Donald Trump has secured a boost among Latino voters, as the number who support the construction of a border wall and deporting all illegal immigrants has soared in recent years, according to a new poll.

The survey, conducted by Axios-Ipsos in partnership with Noticias Telemundo, revealed that 42 percent of respondents supported the construction of a wall or fence along the entire U.S.-Mexico border. This represents a 12-point increase since December 2021.

The highest support for building a wall was among Cuban Americans on 58 percent, followed by Central Americans on 43 percent. It was lowest among Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans on 37 percent.

The findings also showed that 38 percent of Latino adults surveyed support deporting all undocumented migrants, up from 28 percent in 2021.

Furthermore, the data revealed that 64 percent support giving the president the authority to shut the borders if there are too many immigrants entering the U.S.

The poll was based on a sample of 1,012 Hispanic/Latino adults aged 18 and over and was conducted between March 22 and 28.

Support among Latino voters will be critical for both Trump and Joe Biden in the November presidential election. Several critical swing states including Florida, Arizona and Nevada have sizeable Latino populations and even small voting changes could hamper their chances of success.

Biden beat Trump narrowly in Arizona and Nevada in the 2020 presidential election, and early polling indicates that the vote in these swing states may be tight again this year.

Recent polling data from RABA Research, conducted between March 28 and 31, shows Trump leading in Arizona by three points (39 percent to 36 percent). Another poll, conducted last month by Fabrizio, Lee & Associates for the Wall Street Journal, revealed Trump leading by four percentage points in Nevada (48 percent to 44 percent).

An estimated 36.2 million Latinos are eligible to vote in the presidential election this year, up almost 4 million from 2020, according to data from the Pew Research Center. Latinos are also projected to account for 14.7 percent of all eligible voters this year, up from 13.6 percent in 2020.

In New Mexico, 45 percent of all eligible voters are Latino, the highest share of any state across the country. This is followed by California with 33 percent, and Texas on 32 percent.

While Trump made gains among Hispanics in 2020, a majority of 59 percent of Latino voters still backed Biden that year.

Biden has made a concerted effort to win over Latino voters in recent weeks, visiting Arizona, Nevada and Texas in March.

Speaking to voters at a Mexican restaurant in Phoenix last month, Biden said: "You're the reason why, in large part, I beat Donald Trump. Let's beat him again."

He added: "I need you badly. Kamala and I desperately need your help because there are only about six or seven states that are going to determine the outcome of this election. They are toss-up states; this is one of them."