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NBC News
11 hours ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Focus groups: Latino Trump voters diverge on deportations but largely still back the president
Some divides are emerging among swing-state Latinos who voted for President Donald Trump when it comes to his approach to mass deportations, according to new focus group conversations with some of these voters, who nevertheless remain broadly supportive of the president. Most of the Latino Trump voters who participated in recent focus groups observed by NBC News as part of the 2025 Deciders series, produced by Syracuse University and the research firms Engagious and Sago, said they approve of Trump's handling of illegal immigration. And most approved of his actions broadly as president. These voters were key to Trump's win in 2024, when he improved significantly among Latino voters compared to his previous campaigns. The president lost Latinos by 5 points last year, after losing the group by 33 points in 2020, according to the NBC News exit poll. Other estimates of the 2024 vote have indicated the broad shift, too, though some have not shown quite as much movement. The people in these focus groups said they voted for Trump because of concerns about the economy, including inflation, and about immigration. And most of them were still behind the president (all but four also voted for Trump in 2020). 'He's keeping his promises and he's doing what he said he was going to do,' David L., a 60 year-old Georgia voter who grew up in Mexico, said of Trump. But there were cracks, albeit small ones, in support for some of Trump's specific policies. Two voters who supported Joe Biden in 2020 and flipped to Trump in 2024 said they would not vote for Trump if given the chance to redo their vote, choosing instead to back a third-party candidate. One of those voters, Ruby L., 59, of Georgia, said she disapproved of Trump's presidency so far because of potential cuts to programs like Medicaid and because of his approach to deporting undocumented immigrants. 'He was going to deport people that were criminals and have backgrounds,' said Ruby, who was born in Colombia. 'But I see that he's deporting people that work hard and have been in this country. I think he should find a way to help them stay and get a citizenship or something.' Deportation divides Ruby's concerns about widespread deportations underscored some divisions among these voters, even as they broadly supported Trump's actions on immigration. Three of the Trump voters disapproved of his handling of illegal immigration broadly, while 10 approved. That may not reflect Latino Trump voters' broad views, because, unlike a poll, which uses statistical methods to demonstrate how a larger population feels, focus groups dig deeper into how individual panelists view key questions facing the country. 'Most of these swing-state, Hispanic American Trump voters firmly endorse the president's focus on illegal immigration, though they want more thoughtful prioritization regarding who gets deported sooner versus later,' said Rich Thau, president of Engagious, who moderated the sessions. Several voters supported deportations of undocumented immigrants regardless of whether they have committed crimes. 'Well, what do you expect? If you came here illegally, you've done something illegal. Expect the consequences,' said Justin O., 38, of Nevada, who was born in the United States and is of Mexican descent. 'If we're not going to enforce laws, why bother even having them?' said Zachary N., 40, of Michigan, who is also of Mexican descent. Maria P., a 40-year-old Nevada voter of Puerto Rican descent, said Trump's focus on deportations is no different from that of previous presidents, including Democrats Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. 'They all did it, but now it's just the first time everyone's discussing it,' Maria said. Connie A., a 59-year-old Arizona voter of Mexican descent, questioned why an undocumented immigrant who has been in the country for decades had not attempted to apply for a green card or for citizenship. 'There's not a direct path,' countered Mariana L., a 27-year-old North Carolina resident who was born in Venezuela and was one of several participants who noted the path to becoming a legal resident, even for those who want to, can be difficult. Mariana was among the voters who did not approve of Trump's handling of illegal immigration, pointing to his move to revoke certain legal protections for immigrants from her home country. 'Changing those statuses is kind of unfair for the people that built their lives here,' she said. Mariana and some other voters also said the administration should prioritize deporting undocumented immigrants who committed crimes. 'I guess they're focusing on both those who have committed crimes and those who haven't,' said Jennifer L., a 44-year-old Michigan voter of Mexican descent. She approved of Trump's overall performance as president but disapproved of his handling of illegal immigration. 'There's some that are going back because they should, but then there are also some immigrants that are going that really, maybe they haven't committed a crime,' she later added. 'He said he was going to focus on the criminals and stuff like that. And then there's people that are not criminals that are also going,' said Oscar B., a 52-year-old Pennsylvania voter, adding that the Trump administration should take a more 'tailored approach.' Oscar, who was born in Venezuela, also noted that he has seen posts on a local Facebook page for Latinos in his area that warn about Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. 'People on there, they make posts where they talk about ICE being in the city and not to go out of your house,' Oscar said. Ruby of Georgia also said she has seen 'a lot of fear' in her community. 'They're afraid to go out and [they say], 'Don't go out if you're a citizen, don't go out without your citizenship certificate or whatever because you never know,'' Ruby said. 'So they're creating that source of fear around the area. Other voters, like Maria from Nevada, appeared to wrestle with different approaches to deporting undocumented immigrants who have been in the country for years "giving back to society," she said. 'It is the law,' she later added, 'but sometimes the law makes it nearly impossible for a lot of them to actually become citizens at the end of the day. And that's what we have to realize, also. So that's why I'm torn.' 'We see in their responses how conflicted some of these voters are when it comes deporting longtime undocumented residents who have become de facto Americans, have families, pay taxes, live peacefully and contribute to society," said Margaret Talev, director of Syracuse University's Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship, which leads the focus group project in partnership with Engagious/Sago. "Yet overwhelmingly they're still supporting President Trump, showing the resilience of their loyalty and just how motivated they are in opposing illegal immigration,' Talev said. Los Angeles response While there were some divisions over the Trump administration's deportations, the Trump voters who participated in the focus groups broadly backed Trump's response to protests against ICE raids in Los Angeles. Ten of the 13 participants approved of the president's decision to deploy California National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines, with several voters describing the protests as violent and destructive. 'Normally it might be kind of out of the ordinary, being that it was so early into the demonstrations. But I think given the [Black Lives Matter] riots and everything our country went through a few years ago, and it being in California where [Gov. Gavin] Newsom will pretty much not put his foot down at all, I think that he had to get ahead of it, otherwise we would be seeing even more of it,' said Rozlyn C., a 44-year-old Georgia voter of Cuban descent. 'These idiots are trying to tear down their city,' said Irma C., a 58-year-old Arizona voter of Mexican descent. The few who disapproved of Trump's actions described them as 'too much too soon' or out of bounds. 'There is a chain of command that has to be followed. A governor needs to request — we can't just go in there, the state needs to request. Now, he's just completely gone against that,' Justin of Nevada said, referring to Trump. 'The U.S. military should never be used against its own citizens ever. Period. Ever,' Justin later added. Mostly positive on economy Several of these voters said they supported Trump because they believed he could best address the economy and high prices, and for the most part they like what they've seen of Trump so far on those issues. Eight voters said they feel less anxious about the economy compared to when Trump took office in January. Just two said they were more anxious. 'The reduced anxiety eight of them feel about the economy after just five months reflects not only their experiences as consumers, but also their faith in President Trump as businessman-turned-leader,' said Thau, the focus group moderator. 'As a small-business owner, my costs went up under Biden,' said William A., a 60 year-old Georgia voter of Puerto Rican descent, suggesting Biden's policies raised the price of oil, which impacted 'everything else.' In his view, Trump's policies are 'raising our fuel production and lowering fuel costs.' Mariana, the North Carolina voter who was born in Venezuela, said she backed Trump and the Republican Party because of her concerns about the economy. She said she's seen local grocery prices go down since Trump took office. 'I think that the inflation, economy's what they know and Trump being a businessman is just what he does and has been doing for a living,' she said. But Jennifer, the Michigan voter, said high prices on goods such as eggs, dairy, meat and produce have persisted, and she did not believe that Trump was making addressing inflation a priority. 'I thought it would be a top priority instead of renaming the Gulf of Mexico the 'Gulf of America' instead,' Jennifer said. 'But hopefully it does happen. But definitely, in Michigan here it has not — prices here have gone up and have stayed up. A majority of voters also said they supported Trump's actions on trade and tariffs, with the rest saying they do not know enough about the issue to weigh in. Georgia's Rozlyn C. said she disagreed with the president's decision to impose tariffs on some countries with which the U.S. did not have a trade deficit. But she is still broadly supportive of the president. 'I think he has a grand master plan that most of us probably don't understand,' Rozlyn said. 'But I have faith that he, a hundred percent, has the best interest of our country at heart.'
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Heads of UW system, state agencies defend diversity, inclusion practices to audit committee
Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman and UW-Madison Jennifer Mnookin told lawmakers that the DEI practices throughout the system are constantly evolving. President of the Dane County NAACP chapter Greg Jones was the only member of the public to testify at a Joint Audit Committee hearing Tuesday on two recent audits into the diversity, equity and inclusion practices of state agencies and the Universities of Wisconsin. His message to lawmakers was simple: listen to individuals' stories about the impact of diversity, equity and inclusion programs and stay away from politicized attacks on DEI. 'If the question is about whether DEI is functioning or not, whether it's effective or not, then do it — assess it, examine it and make the case, but don't let the politicized environment we now face become an issue of concern,' Jones said. Jones told lawmakers on the committee about his own experience working in what was then known as the American Ethnic Coordinate office at UW-Eau Claire many years ago. His responsibilities in that 'first iteration for the stuff called DEI, belonging and so forth' was ensuring that African-American, Native American, Hispanic American and white students were comfortable on campus. 'It caused me to do a lot of different things. I worked with them to facilitate transportation back home to Kenosha, Racine when they lost a family member, helped them get that money from the financial aid office, advocated for them with English teachers who wouldn't accept Black English as a… method of communication in the class, even when writing poetry, short stories, or any other literary form,' Jones said. Jones added that these efforts helped students succeed in school and were designed to accomplish similar goals to the many DEI initiatives across UW campuses today. 'They're trying to do the same thing: make those students, who don't live in those communities, are not from those communities, who don't relate culturally, racially, ethnically, economically to members of that community, [feel] comfortable.' Jones' comments came after four hours of back and forth between the leaders of the state Department of Administration (DOA) and the University of Wisconsin system, who defended their DEI practices, and lawmakers on the Joint Legislative Audit Committee. Republicans on the committee pressed the leaders on the results of recent audits and criticized DEI efforts saying they are 'racist' and do not benefit the state. Republican lawmakers launched the audits into DEI practices last year after getting concessions from the UW system on cutting back DEI in 2023. The lawmakers then expressed their intent to continue targeting and trying to eliminate diversity programs. The audit results, which were released earlier this month, come as Republican lawmakers have felt emboldened by a U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended consideration of race in admission processes and as the Trump administration has made targeting and eliminating DEI efforts, especially in K-12 and higher education, one of its top priorities. According to a recent poll by Pew Reseach Center, 54% of Americans disapprove of the Trump administration's actions to end DEI in the federal government, while 44% approve. Committee co-chair Sen. Eric Wimberger (R-Oconto) opened the hearing on the audits by attacking diversity, equity and inclusion, saying that it 'abandons the pursuit of a colorblind society' and demands 'stereotyping.' He said the audits 'expose the waste and unconstitutionality of rebranded discrimination based on immutable characteristics.' Wimberger added he would be seeking information from leaders on how the practices would be 'abandoned' or how each DEI initiative 'satisfies a compelling government interest and is narrowly tailored to accomplish that interest.' The DOA audit focused on actions that have been taken in accordance with Executive Order 59, which Gov. Tony Evers signed in 2019 to instruct state agencies to create equity and inclusion plans. Auditors analyzed how much is spent by agencies for DEI activities, including for staffing, and reviewed reported outcomes resulting from DEI activities. The audit found that none of the 24 state agencies tracked the amount they were spending on DEI, though the audit attempts to estimate some of the costs. According to the audit in 2023-24, agencies spent $2.16 million for salary costs for positions with job duties pertaining to DEI, $705,300 for salary costs for time spent attending diversity, equity, and inclusion training required by the executive order, $444,300 on costs for completing certain actions listed in equity and inclusion action plans and $200,200 for salary costs for time spent attending meetings of DEI committees. It also found that agencies did not consistently document that they had corrected issues of noncompliance that DOA had identified, and that DOA did not consistently require agencies to take corrective action. The audit recommended that DOA improve its monitoring efforts and ensure that it comply with the executive order and other statutory and administrative rules related to affirmative action. The UW audit found that UW institutions planned DEI activities and programs mostly at an institutional level, and not across the board. There is no system wide definition of DEI and implementation of DEI activities were left up to the decision of each institution. The UW audit similarly found that spending related to DEI was not specifically tracked across the system. According to the audit during the 2023-24 fiscal year, there were $40,221,000 in costs for UW offices with duties pertaining to DEI, $12,484,900 in estimated salary costs for positions with duties related to DEI and $7,911,900 in working on certain diversity, equity, and inclusion activities listed in selected strategic plans and diversity, equity, and inclusion plans. Republicans expressed contempt for DEI related programs and practices repeatedly throughout the hearing. Sen. Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield) said at one point that he was 'encouraged by the lack of implementation' of Evers' executive order. 'The programs are disgusting. It's racist,' Kapenga said. Democrats on the committee rejected Republicans' characterizations of DEI — defending the practices and also seeking to understand the cost of the audit itself, which took 10 months to complete and included extensive interviews by the LAB of the agencies and UW institutions to compile the information included. Rep. Sequanna Taylor (D-Milwaukee) said that DEI practices are not meant to be racist. 'It is meant to be a step … so that we ensure everyone is successful in their learning opportunities,' Taylor said. Sen. Melissa Ratcliff (D-Cottage Grove) asked LAB how much money was spent preparing the report. State Auditor Joe Chrisman said the LAB spent about $423,000. In her testimony, DOA Secretary-designee Kathy Blumenfield said that her agency's DEI practices have been beneficial for recruiting and retaining employees. Blumenfield also reminded lawmakers that a year ago when lawmakers were launching the audit she told them it would be hard because the work of DEI 'isn't done exclusively by one agency, nor is it a program staffed by specific employees with policies and procedures.' She brought up concerns about the methodology of the audit, saying that the audit likely overstated costs. One example, Blumenfield said, was in relation to town hall events that were hosted by the Department of Workforce Development. The audit lists the events as costing $165,400 in 2023-24, however, Blumenfield said DEI wasn't the main focus. 'The content of these meetings included a wide variety of other topics unrelated to [the executive order]… Only 12% of the town hall meeting could be associated with [the executive order], which would equate to a cost of only $19,800 — reducing [the agency's] total estimated cost by 86%,' Blumenfield said. Blumenfield also said that many of the activities and positions that were covered in the audit existed in previous administrations and were already required by state law — before the Evers executive order. Blumenfield said she thinks DEI practices have been beneficial to the state and that 'luckily' the audit didn't opine on whether DEI was good or bad. 'This was very, very difficult and very, very challenging,' Blumenfield said, adding that she sees the audit as actually 'telling us to lean in more to this work.' 'If you look at the actual recommendations out of the audit, it's saying do more in this space,' Blumenfield continued. Rep. Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam) said he is concerned with whether the audit finds the agency complies with the law and DEI programs are a good use of state resources. He said he couldn't 'wrap my head around' why the state needs DEI to recruit candidates. Blumenfield said that DOA is complying with the law and that the agency is trying to explore ways, including nontraditional ones, to ensure the workforce represents the people of Wisconsin better. 'What you just said there is super important because you didn't say we want our applicants [to be] a little more diverse,' Born said. 'You said you want the workforce… How do you make it look more like the state if you're not hiring people based on race … gender or whatever?' DOA legislative advisor Cara Connors responded that outreach is important. 'Historically, you had folks who didn't even apply to state jobs,' Connors said. She added that outreach was 'not because we need to put a thumb on the scale in the hiring process and look at race. It was that we needed to get these people to apply to jobs in the first place.' One example they used to illustrate the point is outreach to female engineers. 'Female engineers are really hard to come by. [The Public Service Commission] has a really hard time just retaining and recruiting engineers, so they've sent their female engineers to the career fairs and all of a sudden they're attracting more female engineers,' Blumenfield said. 'This isn't rocket science.' In response to a question from Rep. Dan Knodl (R-Germantown), Blumenfield clarified that there are no quotas for these programs. 'If I'm at a career fair and I'm a woman and I don't see anyone that looks like me, you know, I might not be as excited to apply with that organization as if I see someone that I can see myself in,' Blumenfield said. Knodl asked whether there are any engineer positions currently open. 'Are there male engineers available to fill those spots? Are you keeping them open for female engineers?' Knodl asked. 'No we don't do that,' Connors responded. Blumenfield asked if he knew any engineers, and Knodl said his son is an engineer. Wimberger argued that by implementing DEI programs, people are presuming things about people based on 'immutable characteristics.' 'Respectfully, Senator, I think this committee is conflating this idea of what DEI is with what's actually happening at the state agencies,' Connor said. 'What's happening at the state agencies is what the secretary is describing. It's this effort to recruit and retain talent in line with [several factors].' She used the example of the American with Disabilities Act, noting that it's an anti-discrimination law. 'If I'm building a building, and I have multiple floors, I have to have an elevator, I have to have ramps,' Connors said. 'If I wanted to help people with disabilities, would I build a ramp?' Wimberger asked. 'If you want them to access your building,' Connors said. 'Not if their disability isn't related to mobility,' Wimberger shot back. Sen. Melissa Ratcliff asked about the time the agencies spent complying with the audit. Blumenfield said they spent over 600 hours — or more than 75 eight-hour work days. 'That took us, actually, away from the work that we were doing to try and achieve a lot of the outcomes,' Blumenfield said. Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman and UW-Madison Jennifer Mnookin told lawmakers that the DEI practices throughout the system are constantly evolving and are important to student success. Rothman said he has come to think of DEI as 'a broad concept that includes differences in political ideology and religious beliefs, first generation status, disabled status, veteran status, in addition to those who would come from historically underrepresented groups' and that UW's focus is 'on each individual student as an individual to ensure their success as a student and to ensure that they leave our universities with enhanced level of cultural competency.' Wimberger asked about whether UW-Madison has scholarships that consider race. Mnookin said that while it was considered as a 'modest' factor in admissions before the U.S. Supreme Court decision, that is no longer the case. She added that the U.S. Supreme Court decision does not directly speak to scholarships and that there are a few exceptions to this at UW-Madison because of some state statutes. 'Nobody is getting a scholarship from UW Madison on the basis of the racial preference,' Mnookin said. 'We also are no longer accepting new scholarships from donors that call out identity characteristics in that way.' Some Republican lawmakers also asked about LaVar J. Charlteston, the UW-Madison chief diversity officer who was demoted from his position due to financial concerns including 'highly atypical and excessive spending across multiple dimensions — from bonuses to compensation adjustments to travel, supplies and furnishings.' Wimberger asked if UW would fill the position he left vacant. Mnookin said she has a new part-time advisor, but it is not the same. 'It is not at all the same role that Dr. Charlteston had,' Mnookin said. 'We were trying to think about what does pluralism look like? How do we create a culture where conversations across our differences, no matter your identity or no matter your beliefs, are something that is happening?' Mnookin said they are also working on implementing new financial controls with consultation from Deloitte to help prevent further occurrences like this. 'I don't begrudge you for doing that,' Wimberger said. Rep. Robert Wittke (R-Caledonia), who expressed concerns about the variety of DEI definitions on campus, asked Rothman what the system is going to do to work on setting a standard across campuses. 'There was the sense coming out of the audit that we didn't have a sense of what's going on. I don't think that's a fair characterization,' Rothman said. During the hearing, Rothman commended Mnookin for her work, particularly naming the Deliberation Dinners she has hosted, which are an opportunity for students to participate in conversations about controversial issues. Mnookin said it is part of their work to make people feel included on campus. 'Part of what we are trying to create — and, Senator, I acknowledge that we have further work to do — is a place where, whatever your background or your identity you can feel comfortable sharing perspectives,' Mnookin said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
The Independent
19-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
The Latin Grammys get closer to cinema with the new best music for visual media category
The Latin Grammys are getting closer to cinema and television with the new best music for visual media category. The new category announced Wednesday will recognize original music for movies, TV shows, video games and other visual media. For a project to participate in this category, it must feature Latin rhythms or be composed by someone of Ibero American descent. 'It is a category that we had been analyzing for almost three years,' Luis Dousdebes, the Latin Recording Academy's chief awards, membership & preservation officer, told The Associated Press. 'We were told 'there is a lot of production here that is being orphaned a little in the process.'' After analyzing statistical information, meeting the Latin creators of music for visual media and finding the necessary experts for the committee that will vote in the category, the academy decided to create the category. 'We know that in the near future it will mutate into other categories and, logically, it will be differentiated between soundtracks, music for video games, best song, all sort of things,' Dousdebes said. The Latin Grammys will also add a best roots song category. This award will go to the songwriters of new, unpublished recordings that reflect the traditions and roots of various communities, cultures, or social groups, especially those of Hispanic American origin, whether in Spanish, Portuguese or Indigenous languages or dialects. The changes are immediate and will be effective for the 26th edition of the Latin Grammys to be handed out in November in Miami. Among other changes announced by the Latin Recording Academy, the best pop vocal album category will be renamed best contemporary pop album and the best Latin children's album will now become best children's album. The best urban/urban fusion performance category has a new name, and its criteria has also changed. Now, remixes are eligible only if the original version of the song was released within the same eligibility year. The required percentage of urban elements has increased from 51% to 60% to qualify in this category. The songwriter of the year category reduced its minimum song threshold from six songs to four, and the best long form music video category now has a minimum duration of 12 minutes (not including the credits, unless they contribute to the creative process). The screening and voting process for the producer of the year category was also modified to be recognized as a craft, and thus, will now be screened and voted on by a specialized committee in addition to the membership screening and voting process.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Latin Grammys get closer to cinema with the new best music for visual media category
The Latin Grammys are getting closer to cinema and television with the new best music for visual media category. The new category announced Wednesday will recognize original music for movies, TV shows, video games and other visual media. For a project to participate in this category, it must feature Latin rhythms or be composed by someone of Ibero American descent. The Latin Grammys will also add a best roots song category. This award will go to the songwriters of new, unpublished recordings that reflect the traditions and roots of various communities, cultures, or social groups, especially those of Hispanic American origin, whether in Spanish, Portuguese or Indigenous languages or dialects. The changes are immediate and will be effective for the 26th edition of the Latin Grammys to be handed out in November in Miami. Among other changes announced by the Latin Recording Academy, the best pop vocal album category will be renamed best contemporary pop album and the best Latin children's album will now become best children's album. The best urban/urban fusion performance category has a new name, and its criteria has also changed. Now, remixes are eligible only if the original version of the song was released within the same eligibility year. The required percentage of urban elements has increased from 51% to 60% to qualify in this category. The songwriter of the year category reduced its minimum song threshold from six songs to four, and the best long form music video category now has a minimum duration of 12 minutes (not including the credits, unless they contribute to the creative process). The screening and voting process for the producer of the year category was also modified to be recognized as a craft, and thus, will now be screened and voted on by a specialized committee in addition to the membership screening and voting process.
Associated Press
19-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
The Latin Grammys get closer to cinema with the new best music for visual media category
The are getting closer to cinema and television with the new best music for visual media category. The new category announced Wednesday will recognize original music for movies, TV shows, video games and other visual media. For a project to participate in this category, it must feature Latin rhythms or be composed by someone of Ibero American descent. The Latin Grammys will also add a best roots song category. This award will go to the songwriters of new, unpublished recordings that reflect the traditions and roots of various communities, cultures, or social groups, especially those of Hispanic American origin, whether in Spanish, Portuguese or Indigenous languages or dialects. The changes are immediate and will be effective for the 26th edition of the Latin Grammys to be handed out in November in Miami. Among other changes announced by the Latin Recording Academy, the best pop vocal album category will be renamed best contemporary pop album and the best Latin children's album will now become best children's album. The best urban/urban fusion performance category has a new name, and its criteria has also changed. Now, remixes are eligible only if the original version of the song was released within the same eligibility year. The required percentage of urban elements has increased from 51% to 60% to qualify in this category. The songwriter of the year category reduced its minimum song threshold from six songs to four, and the best long form music video category now has a minimum duration of 12 minutes (not including the credits, unless they contribute to the creative process). The screening and voting process for the producer of the year category was also modified to be recognized as a craft, and thus, will now be screened and voted on by a specialized committee in addition to the membership screening and voting process.
