Trump's raids hit the Hispanic community hard, open a rift in the Republican Party

The Trump administration's immigration policies are having consequences that extend beyond those who have been detained or deported. In communities with a significant Hispanic presence, raids have disrupted small business operations and instilled fear among farmworkers, according to two recently published studies.

The economic impact is documented in a study by the Latino Policy & Politics Institute at UCLA on immigration raids and Latino small businesses in Los Angeles County. The study examined nine commercial corridors where immigration raids took place and surveyed 75 Latino business owners.

The study found that, during the two weeks following the operations, establishments located near the sites where the raids took place received about 46,000 fewer visits. UCLA estimated that this decline represented losses of approximately $3.16 million for the businesses analyzed.

The impact was not limited to customer numbers. According to the survey included in the study, 59% of the business owners interviewed stated that their revenue had fallen by more than 50% following the raids. Sixty-eight percent said they had temporarily closed or reduced their hours, and 51% reported that their employees had missed work out of fear.

The analysis also found that the problem persisted. No less than 95% of the business owners surveyed said they were experiencing constant financial stress, while 52% stated that their revenue no longer consistently covered operating costs.

Farmworkers' fear 

Another study published in July highlights the impact of immigration policies on farmworkers.

The UFW Foundation surveyed 2,250 farmworkers to learn how raids and deportations were affecting their lives and work.

Ninety-two percent of the workers surveyed stated that immigration raids and deportations had affected their employment. Eighty percent had been living in the United States for more than a decade, according to the report.

Fear is also changing everyday behavior. According to the survey, 61% of participants had cut back on shopping, and 29% had avoided seeking medical care due to the fear caused by immigration operations. Ninety percent expressed concern about possible family separation.

The priorities expressed by workers also reveal the extent of the uncertainty: 76% said they wanted protection from deportation and detention, while 53% said they wanted a path to legal status and citizenship.

Criticism from the Republican side

The discussion is not limited to organizations traditionally aligned with Democrats. Some Republicans have expressed concern about how the Trump administration's immigration policy is being implemented.

As early as June 2025, six of the 11 members of the Congressional Hispanic Conference sent a letter to the then-acting director of ICE asking the agency to focus its resources on individuals considered an immediate threat to public safety.

These lawmakers' position did not imply a rejection of the enforcement of immigration laws. The discussion centered on ICE's priorities and the need to distinguish between individuals who pose a threat to public safety and other immigrants.

Rep. Carlos Giménez (R-Fla.) has also has expressed concern about the political consequences of immigration enforcement operations among Hispanic voters. "I'm telling you that what happened with ICE during the last year hurt the Republicans, all right? Hurt us with Hispanics. We made great gains with Hispanics, and then we, because of the way that ICE was enforcing immigration, a lot of Hispanics say, 'wait, wait, that's not what I voted for, all right?' And so I think that that's a reflection right there," Giménez said in remarks reported by The Latin Times.

Bob Unanue issues a warning

Bob Unanue, CEO of Goya Foods and a prominent business figure who has publicly expressed his support for Trump, weighed in on this discussion.

In a post on X, Unanue wrote: "We are loosing the 46% Hispanic vote because of this coming out of 'Coms,'" referring to a post related to the raids that the businessman considered offensive to Mexicans—so much so that he went on in another post to call for the dismissal of Steven Cheung, the White House communications director.

His comment is significant because it echoes a concern also expressed by elected Republicans: that an immigration policy focused on mass deportations could end up taking a political toll among Hispanics.

A community that is not politically homogeneous

Hispanic Republicans have expressed differing views on how immigration policy should be enforced. Some support strict enforcement of the laws, but at the same time advocate that ICE resources be focused on immigrants who pose a threat to public safety.

This distinction is important because a significant part of the current debate does not revolve solely around whether the United States should secure the border or deport people who are in the country illegally. It also revolves around how these operations are carried out and what consequences they have on entire communities.

Studies by UCLA and the UFW Foundation document two of these consequences: the economic impact on small businesses and the effect of immigration policies on farmworkers and their families.

Statements by Republicans like Giménez and business leaders like Unanue add a political dimension: the concern that certain strategies might drive away Hispanic voters whom the Republican Party has managed to attract in recent years.

The debate is no longer just about who crosses the border

The data points to a shift in the immigration debate: the political question is no longer solely what to do with those who cross the border illegally, but how immigration policy is enforced within the country and whom it ultimately affects.

The UCLA report on Los Angeles shows that raids can have consequences for businesses that depend on Latino consumers. The UFW Foundation survey shows that fear can even influence everyday decisions such as buying groceries or going to the doctor. And statements by some Republicans indicate that within the party itself there is a debate over the limits and priorities of immigration law enforcement.

The challenge for Republicans is particularly delicate because it comes on the heels of one of the party's best performances among Hispanics in a presidential election. The 46% secured by Trump in 2024 demonstrated that a significant portion of the Hispanic community was willing to vote for a GOP candidate.

Now, polls suggest that this electorate distinguishes between border security policy and the consequences of deportations and raids within the country. For some Republicans, the concern is no longer just how to maintain tough immigration policy, but how to do so without losing the Hispanic voters who helped the party.