As Gubernatorial Race Ramps Up, New Poll Finds NJ Latino Voters Reject Trump’s Immigration Agenda

A new poll finds that most Latino voters in New Jersey are opposed to President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration agenda, challenging the post-2024 election narrative that the community is shifting rightward. 

The survey, conducted in late spring by Make the Road New Jersey and Data for Progress, shows 64% of Latino voters disapprove of Trump’s handling of immigration—with even higher opposition among women (72%) and voters over 45 (67%).

Organizers say the results offer a more nuanced view of Latino voters, noting that this poll stands out for its foundation in community conversations and its emphasis on the issues that matter most to Latino residents.

“It’s the first–that I know of–publicly released survey of New Jersey Latino voters that looks at attitudes toward immigration,” said Nedia Morsy, director of Make the Road New Jersey. “It really counters last year’s post-election narrative, hot-take about this supposed political realignment of the Latino community.”

The survey was conducted in late spring, coinciding with the opening of Delaney Hall—the first ICE detention center launched under the Trump administration in Newark. The 1,000-bed facility, which tripled New Jersey’s capacity to detain immigrants, would later become a flashpoint when Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested there, thrusting the state into the national spotlight.

Latino voters were particularly alarmed by the immigration detention center expansion in New Jersey, where the Trump administration opened its first facility this spring. Nearly six in ten (57%) opposed expanding detention centers, with opposition strongest among women (66%). 

This message is especially important as expansion threats continue. Morsy pointed to fears over the sale of the Union County jail, which advocates worry will be used as an ICE facility.

“It’s how out of step this Union County jail is, and the Union County Commissioners and their plan to allow a private prison operator to open an ICE detention facility—it’s just out of touch with what it is voters want,” she added.

The poll also asked voters to identify the most important issues facing New Jersey residents. 63% of Latino voters pointed to an unfair economy that favors the wealthy, rather than new migrants arriving from NYC and other places.

“[Latino voters] believe that we need a fair economic system, that we should be taxing the billionaire class,” Morsy said. “And that people should be treated with dignity and respect. That still is people’s foundation, particularly among the Latino community.”

The release of the poll comes at a critical moment, as the New Jersey gubernatorial campaign ramps up this summer amidst growing mass deportation fears. With nearly a quarter of New Jersey residents born outside the United States and over 40% of children living in immigrant families, the stakes are especially high in a state where immigrants are integral to the economy and community life.

Morsy called the poll a “roadmap for how local officials and state electeds should be thinking about immigration, especially as it pertains to Latino voters.” She hopes the poll will help political candidates “feel firm” and “in their power when they stand up to Trump’s extreme immigration policies.”

“[Voters] are looking for people to resist Trump and to protect Jersey residents—they are not looking for cooperation at all,” she said.