Most Hispanic voters in new poll frustrated with economy

Most Hispanic voters expressed frustration with the economy and the direction of the country in a new poll, though a minority of those respondents pinned the blame on President Biden.

The poll from Noticias Univision found 54 percent of Hispanics said soaring prices and the cost of living are the most important issues facing the country, a sentiment that was felt most strongly by Republicans but shared by a majority across party lines.

Just over half of respondents said the U.S. is “seriously off track,” while 26 percent said things were “going in the right direction.” This attitude differed across party lines, with 75 percent of Republicans believing the U.S. is “seriously off track” compared to 39 percent of Democrats and 53 percent of Independents.

Around 64 percent of those who said the country is going in the right direction credited President Biden while 36 percent of those with a negative perception of the country’s direction said he should be to be blamed.

The poll comes as the Biden administration touts his economic plan, dubbed “Bidenomics,” which seeks to tackle inflation, increase jobs and keep unemployment levels low.

However, stubborn inflation over the past two years and increasing interest rates from the Federal Reserve have fueled criticism of Biden’s economic policies, with national polls showing voters still feel little economic relief at home. 

Border security also came up as a key concern for Hispanics, with 20 percent saying border security is one of the most important issues facing the country. Around 13 percent of Democrats shared this belief, compared to 16 percent of Independents and 36 percent of Republicans. 

When asked which party they trust more to handle issues of greatest concern, border security was the only topic where trust in Republicans, 41 percent, was higher than the trust in Democrats, 40 percent. 

Hispanics said they trust Democrats more to handle the cost of living and rising prices, with 48 percent, compared to 32 percent who trust Republicans more.

Around 33 percent of Hispanics said they do not believe Biden has a plan to tackle these issues, compared to 27 percent who said he does. Around 30 percent said they have heard a little about Biden’s plan, but are unsure, while 10 percent said they do not know enough to say.

Similarly, around 34 percent of Hispanics said they do not believe Republicans in Congress have a plan for these issues, while 22 percent said they believe they do. Around 27 percent said they are unsure of their plan and 16 percent said they do not know enough to say.

On other specific immigration questions, nearly three-quarters, or 72 percent, said they support sending U.S. troops and asylum case workers to the U.S.-Mexico border to assist in processing immigrants and asylum seekers. 

A majority of Hispanics, or 83 percent, said they also support passing a law to give permanent legal status and a path to citizenship to recipients of DACA, or the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which protects eligible young adults brought the U.S. as child from deportation.  

The poll’s findings come on the heels of the White House’s latest shift in its immigration policy. Last week, the administration granted over 400,000 Venezuelans work permits while bolstering border enforcement agencies with military assistance. 

The Noticias Univision sampled 1,401 Hispanic registered voters from Sept. 11-19, 2023. It has a margin of error of 2.6 percent.