Doral, a mostly Latino city near Miami that includes one of Trump's golf clubs, has become a test of what the immigration crackdown means for Republicans. Residents told AFP that fear of raids has left businesses short-staffed and schools with fewer students 1. The midterm election is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Maria Fernanda Perez, 32, owns a restaurant and says she voted for Trump. She told AFP her sales fell 40 percent and three employees stopped coming to work over deportation fears. She would not say how she will vote now, but said: "Anyone but Trump." 1
The criticism is also coming from Republicans. Rafael Pineyro, a Republican Doral councilman, said the crackdown affects Latinos across South Florida 1.
This isn't right, because this isn't what was promised in 2024 when we were talking about (deporting) criminals.
Carlos Bermudez, 47, a Venezuelan-born lawyer who calls himself a Republican, said he gets constant calls from people in immigration proceedings 1.
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What the polls show
A New York Times/Siena College poll taken last month found 66 percent of Hispanic respondents disapproved of Trump's performance. It also found 78 percent wanted Democrats to take control of Congress 1. Pew Research found Trump's approval among Hispanic voters who backed him in 2024 fell from 93 percent in early 2025 to 57 percent 3.
A Fox News poll in September found 53 percent of registered voters said the crackdown had gone too far, and two-thirds of Hispanic participants agreed 3.
A Florida Republican breaks with the president
Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, a Miami Republican, ran a campaign ad aimed at Trump 23.
Mr President, some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far
Miami-Dade County is more than 70 percent Latino. Hillary Clinton won it by about 30 points in 2016, while Trump carried it by about 11 points in 2024 2. Trump won 46 percent of the Latino vote nationally in 2024, according to RTÉ 2.
Democrats have yet to turn that frustration into a sure win. Gregory Koger, a University of Miami political scientist, said Spanish-language radio carries heavily conservative messaging, which makes Democrats a hard sell even for people hurt by Trump's policies. He said voters turning against the administration may not be enough to flip the state 2.
Some Trump voters are staying put. Carlos, a voter RTÉ interviewed, said he backed Trump because he was fed up with immigration that let in people who were not vetted 2.
The pressure is rising
ICE reported more than 50,000 immigration arrests in September, its second straight month above that level and above the June record of 43,900 3. DHS says about 70 percent of detainees are criminals when pending charges are counted. The Deportation Data Project found about 70 percent of people in ICE detention have no criminal record 3.
Richard Gonzales, a Texas Democratic county chair, said: "I would hope they'd abolish ICE." 3 That matters because Republicans in Doral are voicing doubts about enforcement tactics, while Democrats have not settled on a common answer.
The pattern is worth watching. Voters who feel the crackdown has gone beyond what they were promised in 2024 could decide close House races in Florida. Their numbers will show up in early voting and on Nov. 3.
The Record
- Hillary Clinton won Miami-Dade County by about 30 points 2.
- Trump carried Miami-Dade County by about 11 points 2.
- ICE reported a second straight month of more than 50,000 immigration arrests in September, above June's record of 43,900 3.
- AFP reported Doral residents describing falling sales, short-staffed businesses and fewer pupils in schools 1.
Sources
- AFP via New Straits Times, “'Anyone but Trump': Republicans face Latino backlash over immigration raids” (2026-10-21). nst.com.my/amp/world/world/2026/10/1560277/anyone-trump-repu
- RTÉ, “Latino vote key to Miami elections amid Republican shift” (2026-10-21). rte.ie/news/us/2026/1021/1596178-florida-election/
- Al Jazeera, “ICE tactics spark debate before pivotal US midterm elections” (2026-10-15). aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/15/ice-tactics-spark-debate-befor
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