Latino Voters Sound Alarm Over Lack of Congressional Oversight; GOP Largely Blamed for Government Shutdown

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Economic security and personal safety under threat for Latino voters as 62% disapprove how the Republican Party is leading Congress 

WASHINGTON, DC — UnidosUS, the nation’s largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization, released today findings from its Bipartisan Poll of Hispanic Voters: The Road to 2026, the biggest bipartisan poll of Latinos. The survey of 3,000 registered Latino voters finds that 81% are concerned Congress is not fulfilling its checks-and-balances role and is ceding too much of its constitutional authority to President Donald Trump and the executive branch. This electorate is the nation’s second-largest voting-age population and a critical group whose priorities carry significant weight, particularly in an environment of razor-thin margins.  

Nearly two-thirds (62%) disapprove of how the Republican Party is leading Congress, and a similar share (61%) hold Republicans responsible for the recent federal government shutdown, compared to just 22% who blame Democrats. If the 2026 midterm elections were held today, with 75% saying they are certain or likely to vote, 52% of Latino voters would vote for the Democratic House candidate, 28% for the Republican. This signals both parties have work to do to win over more of these voters.  

Regarding President Trump, 64% disapprove of his job performance. Of those who voted for him, 13% say they would not vote for him again and another 9% are uncertain they would choose him. The issues most shaping views of President Trump include the cost of living and inflation, immigration arrests and deportations, jobs and the economy and cuts to Medicaid and food assistance programs. 

“Like a majority of American citizens, Hispanic voters are blaming the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans for not focusing enough on the economy, especially the rising costs of food, housing and health care. We are now in the longest government shutdown in history, and families are dealing with disruptions to critical services and skyrocketing insurance costs,” said UnidosUS President and CEO Janet Murguía. “Equally alarming is that Hispanic voters feel that civil rights, freedoms and their personal safety, and that of their loved ones, are at risk. They are deeply concerned Congress is not exercising its duty to provide a check-and-balance on the administration.” 

Pocketbook issues continue to dominate Latino voters’ priorities — reflecting heightened concern over the cost of living, jobs, housing and health care affordability, with immigration rounding out the top five. In addition to economic insecurity, Hispanic voters are also feeling their freedoms are under threat. The poll found that: 

  • 72% oppose the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to use appearance, languages, and work/labor as grounds to arrest someone on suspicion of immigration violations. 
  • 59% believe civil rights and liberties have become less secure. 
  • A majority do not support the way in which federal military/national guard deployments are occurring, including 31% who believe such deployments should not happen at all. 
  • 49% are very concerned that they or someone close to them may become a victim of political violence, with 44% believing that recent increase in political violence is mostly due to Republican talk, as opposed to 19% holding Democrats responsible. 
  • 41% think people fear immigration authorities will arrest them even if they’re U.S. citizens or have legal status.

“For Latino families in rural America, the economic challenges emphasized by this poll hit even harder, from rising housing and health-care costs to wages that fall short. Nearly half of rural Latino families say they’re struggling just to meet basic expenses,” said Alex Sánchez, CEO of Voces Unidas, based in Glenwood Springs, CO. “The future of rural America is deeply connected to the Latino experience, and if our elected officials want to understand where the country is headed, they need to start listening to the Latino communities that feed it, build it and keep it running — and begin working to address our needs.”  

  • Click HERE to watch a replay of today’s webinar. 
  • Click HERE to see a slide presentation of the poll’s national toplines. 
  • Click HERE to view demographic crosstabs and HERE to view battleground districts.

 

Other key findings nationwide include:   

 On Issues and Economic Landscape 

  • Four of the top five priorities for Hispanic voters continue to be driven by pocketbook issues: 
    • #1 Cost of living/inflation (53%) — Cost of food and basic living expenses, housing affordability, gas prices and electricity bills. 
    • #2 Jobs and economy (36%) — Wages, job security, prices and job creation. 
    • #3 Housing (32%) — Rising cost of rent and cost of electricity, utilities, taxes, home insurance, home maintenance/repairs and lack of affordable housing. 
    • #4 Health care (30%) — Rising health care costs, monthly premiums, co-pays and deductibles. 
    • #5 Immigration (20%) — Path to citizenship for law-abiding, long-residing undocumented individuals; safe and humane facilities for those in detention; giving people their day in court. 
  • Compared to last year, 39% feel their economic situation is worse now; only 14% say they are doing better. Looking ahead to next year, 50% believe the Trump administration’s economic policies will make them worse off. 
  • 65% believe President Trump and Congressional Republicans are not focusing enough on improving the economy, a 5% increase since April 2025.

On the Political Landscape and Environment 

  • Views on parties: 55% say the Democratic Party cares a great deal about the Latino community while 29% say the same of the Republican Party. In contrast, 33% say the Republican Party is hostile towards the Latino community, compared with 7% of respondents saying the Democratic Party is. 
  • Which party is better on specific issues: Hispanic voters say they trust Democrats more to handle health care (55%), climate change, voting rights, and immigration reform (each at 51%) and inflation and affordability (50%). Conversely, they believe Republicans would do a better job managing border security (37%). 
  • Military deployments: 33% believe federal military deployments should only happen if state or local leaders request them. 31% say federal military deployments should not happen at all and only 24% say the federal government should be able to send military forces even if local governments do not want them. 

 On Immigration 

  • On recent immigration policies and actions, 33% said employers have lost workers because people fear being arrested if they go to work, and 29% say children are missing classes because their parents fear being arrested while taking their kids to school. 
  • Top immigration policy priorities include a path to citizenship for law-abiding and long-residing undocumented individuals, including those who were brought to the country as children (43%); ensuring detention facilities are safe, sanitary and humane once immigrants are detained (35%); ensuring people in deportation proceedings have a chance to make their case in court (34%); and cracking down on human smugglers and drug traffickers (33%). 

 

In addition to the press briefing noting national results, UnidosUS will host a series of virtual press briefings to share findings at the state level: 

  • California: Monday, Nov. 3, 11 a.m. PT / 2 p.m. ET  
  • Georgia: Wednesday, Nov. 5, 11 a.m. ET 
  • Arizona: Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2 p.m. MT / 1 p.m. ET 
  • Florida: Thursday, Nov. 6, 10 a.m. ET  
  • Colorado:Thursday, Nov. 6, 10 a.m. MT/12 p.m. ET 
  • Texas: Thursday, Nov. 6, 1 p.m. CT / 2 p.m. ET 

 

About the Bipartisan Poll of Hispanic Voters: The Road to 2026 

Bipartisan pollster team, BSP Research and Shaw & Co. 

  • Total N=3,000 voters Latino registered voters (+/- 1.8%) 
  • Battleground Congressional Districts N=85 (+/- 3.4%) 

Respondents residing in competitive districts as defined in Cook Political Report as of 10/8/25 

  • Oversamples N= 400 (+/- 4.9%) per: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Texas 
  • Field Dates: October 8–22, 2025 
  • Survey available in English and Spanish, according to respondent preference 
  • Mixed mode: live phones, text invites, online panels 

 

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About BSP Research 

BSP Research is a Latino-owned polling, research, and analytics firm headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 2021 by Matt Barreto and Gary Segura, who have more than two decades of experience in national polling and research, BSP Research is a leading research and analytic firm with expertise on the political and social views of the American population and beyond. BSP has industry-leading expertise in culturally competent research on communities of color and other forms of disadvantage, and extensive experience in bilingual polling and data gathering from all varieties of communities.

 

About Dr. Daron R. Shaw 

Dr. Shaw is president of Shaw & Company Research and is a professor in the Government Department at the University of Texas at Austin. He teaches American Government, Campaigns & Elections, Public Opinion & Voting Behavior, and Political Parties. Professor Shaw currently serves as one half of the bipartisan polling team for Fox News and is a member of the Fox News Decision Team. He is also associate PI for the 2020 and 2024 American National Election Studies and is co-director of the University of Texas Poll.

 

Voces Unidas 

Voces Unidas de las Montañas is a nonprofit organization that elevates the voices of rural Latinas and Latinos in Colorado to inform policy at the local, state and federal levels. In partnership with COLOR, Voces Unidas also leads the Colorado Latino Agenda, a statewide public research initiative that publishes relevant and timely in-depth reports about Latinas and Latinos in Colorado.