ICE crackdown prompts some Texas Latinos who voted for Trump to turn away from him, CBS News reports
CBS News reported on Friday, Oct. 23, that the immigration crackdown has led some Texas Latinos who voted for Donald Trump to turn away from him. CBS News profiled Benny Melendez, a South Texas construction company owner who voted for Trump in 2024 and now regrets it, and reported that he built fencing at job sites so agents need judicial warrants before entering. CBS News reported that building a home now takes his team a year, up from an average of four months. CBS News reported that a recent CBS News poll found nearly 60% of Latinos believe the administration has deported more people than they expected. CBS News quoted McAllen’s Republican mayor, Javier Villalobos, as saying the sight of masked agents pulling people from vehicles affects him more than economic concerns. The story notes Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton are running for Senate in Texas.
The report presents individual voters’ regret alongside poll data on deportations, and it notes the Texas Senate race between Talarico and Paxton.
If you live in Texas, the report notes the Senate race between Talarico and Paxton, and it is one outlet’s sample of voter opinion, not a forecast.
The voters’ view in the report is regret: Melendez says he regrets his vote and describes costs to his business. On this view, the crackdown has gone too far for some who supported it.
The cautious view comes from what the report does not measure: it profiles individual voters and cites a poll on deportation numbers, but it gives no count of Texas Latinos who have changed their vote. On this view, dissatisfaction does not guarantee a shift in votes.
Confirmed by CBS News: individual voters and a recent poll show unease about deportations. Not confirmed: how many Texas Latinos have changed their vote or how it affects the Senate race. Watch for polls in the Talarico-Paxton race before Election Day.
DailyDrop U.S. No. 20 · October 24, 2026