Border-Dwellers of Southern Latino Descent Erupt in Excitement Over Trump's Tougher Enforcement - IJR (Paraphrased)
In a surprising turn of events, Starr County, Texas - consistently rated as one of the poorest counties in the state and traditionally a stronghold for the Democrat Party - broke its streak of Democrat dominance in the 2024 election. The county voted for President Donald Trump, marking the first time in 132 years that a Republican presidential candidate won Starr County.
This shift in voting patterns among Hispanic Americans living along the U.S.-Mexico border, specifically in counties like Starr County, can be attributed primarily to evolving local concerns about border security and immigration. Residents in these border counties have experienced firsthand the impacts of increased migration, such as the Del Rio bridge encampment in 2021 and record migrant arrivals, which have contributed to a heightened perception of a border "crisis."
Perla Bazan, a lifelong resident of Starr County, described the border crisis she witnessed under President Joe Biden as the "worst." She recounted a moment when she was home with her daughter and they were terrified their roof would fly away because of a nearby helicopter chasing down a group of illegal migrants. Bazan expressed that she does not have sympathy for those who come into the country illegally and use their children to cross the border.
Amanda Garcia, a resident of San Isidro, shared similar sentiments. She said the border crisis spilled over onto her family's property, such as when a vehicle ferrying illegal migrants plowed through her ranch's fence. Garcia's husband had a near-death experience while hunting on the family's property when he encountered suspected cartel gangbangers engaged in a heated argument.
Toni Trevino, chair of the Starr County Republican Party, attributed the shift in vote to concerns about the border and dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party's focus on "fringe issues." She stated that people in her community support Trump's law-and-order approach on immigration and other issues, as they do not want drugs and human smuggling in their community.
The hardening of border security policies during the Trump administration, including "Zero Tolerance" immigration enforcement, shaped local perceptions and voting behavior despite the controversial nature of these policies. Local voters' experiences with migration flow pressures and asylum backlogs under subsequent administrations have reinforced concerns about border management, which benefit candidates promising strict border control.
Political messaging from both local and national actors that frame immigration as a security and economic issue influences these voters. The rhetoric, which may sometimes depress turnout among some Hispanic segments directly affected by immigration, paradoxically appears to have galvanized others toward Trump, perceived as stronger on border enforcement.
While redistricting and political representation issues are significant in Texas, they relate more broadly to minority voters' political empowerment rather than directly explaining the shift toward Trump in border Hispanic communities in 2024.
Trump's showing with Latinos in 2024 was the best performance by a Republican presidential contender in modern times. He nearly won Latinos outright, capturing 48% of their vote, a significant improvement from the 28% he received in 2016. Polling conducted by the University of Texas and the Texas Politics Project found that Latinos in Texas were not just warm to Trump overall, but more receptive to his immigration policies, with at least 43% of Latinos agreeing with the idea of immediate deportation of all illegal migrants in the U.S. and as much as 49% of them saying the U.S. takes in "too many" legal immigrants.
Starr County is heavily Latino, with Hispanics making up more than 97% of the locality. The shift in vote in Starr County was indicative of a larger trend across the country, with Latinos, a historically Democratic voting bloc, swinging heavily towards the GOP in the 2024 presidential election.
[1] University of Texas/Texas Politics Project Polling Data [2] "The Trump Effect: Why Hispanic Voters in Border Counties Swung Right in 2024," The Texas Observer, 15 January 2025 [3] "Redistricting and Hispanic Voting Power in Texas," The Lone Star Project, 10 February 2025 [4] "The Evolution of Hispanic Voting Patterns in the 2024 Presidential Election," The Brookings Institution, 20 February 2025 [5] "Border Security and Immigration Policies: Their Impact on Hispanic Voting Behavior in Texas," The University of Texas at Austin, 1 March 2025
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