Texas immigration backlash tests Republican gains among Hispanic voters

The findings add pressure to Republicans in a state where Hispanic voters played a major role in Trump’s 2024 gains, especially along the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump carried 14 of the 18 border counties that year, including heavily Latino Starr County. But business owners in South Texas now say interior immigration enforcement has disrupted construction sites and other workplaces, while 70% of surveyed business owners said they viewed workforce raids negatively. A separate New York Times/Siena poll released last month found Paxton and Talarico tied statewide, while Talarico held a 32-point lead among Hispanic voters.