Anthony Gavic, aged 57, recalls his grandmother’s journey from Mexico to the United States in the early 1900s, settling in Texas amidst a time when derogatory terms like “wetback” were used by white Americans to refer to Mexicans. Despite former President Donald J. Trump’s pledge to execute the largest deportation effort in U.S. history, inspired by the 1950s “Operation Wetback,” Mr. Gavic saw practical parallels rather than targeting Latinos directly.
Attending the recent Republican national convention in Milwaukee, Mr. Gavic, a Republican himself, expressed confidence in Trump’s immigration agenda. The party’s platform included plans for mass deportation, completing the border wall, and halting “the migrant invasion,” with a tone even more stringent than Trump’s 2016 campaign. The Republicans believe this stance will not alienate Latino voters in the upcoming election.
Studies and focus groups reveal a shift among Latino voters towards endorsing stricter immigration measures, aligning with Trump and the Republican Party’s approach over President Biden and the Democrats in handling border security. This trend is particularly notable among Latino Republicans and right-leaning independents, who perceive the border situation as a crisis and share Trump’s views on undocumented immigrants posing threats to public safety, national security, and cultural identity.
