Latino Community in Chicago Reflects National Trend with Divided Response to Trump’s Re-election

In Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, the aftermath of President Donald Trump’s re-election is drawing sharply contrasting reactions within the Latino community, a group often viewed as a singular voting bloc. In the wake of the 2024 presidential election, some Latinos like Miguel Barajas and Luis Lopez celebrate Trump’s win with the hope that his policies will improve the economy and recognize the contributions of long-standing immigrant workers. “He will fix this economy, he knows what he’s doing,” Barajas, a naturalized citizen originally from Mexico, told the

GazetteXtra

in a candid interview.

Conversely, community leaders are rallying to advocate for the rights of more vulnerable immigrants, poised for an intensified struggle in Trump’s second term. According to an article by

ABC 7 Chicago

, a coalition has vowed to fight to keep Illinois a welcoming place, amidst fears of mass deportations, “If you come for me and mine, know we will fight back,” declared state Sen. Celina Villanueva.

The Latino vote in Chicago, as evidenced by a Chicago Tribune analysis, showed Trump garnering between 27% to 41% of the vote in areas with the highest Latino populations, a significant increase compared to past elections. This shift towards Trump suggests a division that cuts deep, with some naturalized citizens and second-generation Latinos expressing feelings of abandonment by the Democratic Party. They cite the prioritization of resources and work permits for recent migrants while overlooking the needs of long-term undocumented residents. “It’s not fair what Democrats did,” Luis Lopez, a Pilsen native, conveyed to

GazetteXtra

.

However, a significant part of the Latino electorate in Illinois remains firmly in opposition to Trump, concerned about the potential rollback of immigrant-friendly policies such as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Temporary Protected Status (TPS). With commitments from state lawmakers and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, the state is preparing to support those potentially impacted by federal policy changes. “We are going to overcome this because our ancestors have fought harder to lead us to this moment,” Illinois Rep. Norma Hernandez told supporters, as reported by

ABC 7 Chicago

.

This electoral divide reflects a broader national trend, where not all Latinos align with a singular political party. The Republican appeal to working-class values, associated with economic concerns, resonated with a considerable number of Latino voters. Silvia Puente, President and CEO of the Latino Policy Forum,

highlighted this by stating

, “At least a third of the Latino vote in the nation swings Republican in presidential elections.” The variation in voting patterns epitomizes the complex dynamics at play within the Latino community, which holds a multifaceted spectrum of political beliefs and values, stretching beyond simple partisan lines. Whether these latest voting patterns will alter the political landscape in the years to come remains a point of observation and analysis.

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