A growing number of Venezuelan voters in South Florida, once considered a reliable base for Donald Trump, are voicing regret over their past support. Many now say they feel alienated by the former president’s immigration policies, which have hit their community particularly hard.
According to a new survey released Monday by Florida International University’s Latino Public Opinion Forum, support for Trump among Venezuelan voters is slipping. The shift comes as the administration pushes forward with efforts to end protections for Venezuelan migrants and expand deportations.
Policy Changes Stir Discontent
Since returning to office on January 20, President Trump has introduced sweeping changes to U.S. immigration policy. These measures have significantly increased deportations, including of individuals who were previously granted legal status to live and work in the country.
Among the more controversial decisions is the move to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelan migrants. The administration has also come under fire for deporting alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang to El Salvador, a process critics say was carried out without proper legal proceedings. These actions have sparked frustration among Venezuelan-Americans who once supported Trump, many of whom now feel their loyalty was misplaced.
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A Divided Community
The policy shift has created a clear divide within South Florida’s Venezuelan diaspora. While many long-time residents continue to back Trump, recent arrivals and families with mixed immigration status are distancing themselves from the administration.
Florida is home to nearly half of all Venezuelans living in the U.S., with around 118,000 residing in Miami-Dade County alone. Their political influence has grown in recent years, helping Trump carry Miami-Dade by roughly 125,000 votes over Kamala Harris in November. It marked the first time a Republican won the county since George H.W. Bush in 1988.
However, in a recent poll of 408 Venezuelan residents conducted by FIU, nearly half of those who voted for Trump in 2024 said they now regret their decision or have mixed feelings about it. Around 40 percent of all respondents indicated they plan to support a Democrat, Independent, or a non-MAGA candidate in future elections.
“It was seen as a betrayal,” said Eduardo Gamarra, the FIU political scientist who led the survey. “This is an extremely polarized community—divided between citizens and noncitizens, between those who have resolved their immigration status and those who haven’t.”
Shifting Political Loyalties
Among the 32 percent of respondents who said they voted for Trump in 2024, only 35 percent reported feeling very satisfied with their choice. Another 22 percent expressed regret, and 12 percent said they were somewhat dissatisfied. Gamarra noted that disillusionment isn’t necessarily translating into support for other Republicans. Instead, many former Trump backers are stepping away from the party entirely.
The divide is also generational. “Venezuelans who arrived before 2000 are the most staunchly Republican,” Gamarra said. “But more recent arrivals, many of whom are on TPS or parole, feel abandoned by the administration.”
Gamarra compared this dynamic to longstanding tensions within South Florida’s Cuban community. “This isn’t new,” he said. “There’s often resentment toward newcomers, with class, political, and racial factors all playing a role.”
Impact Felt Across the Community
The survey found that 57 percent of respondents had been affected in some way by the termination of TPS. Twenty-one percent were personally impacted, while another 35 percent said a friend or family member had been. Only 41 percent reported no direct or indirect impact.
About 80 percent of respondents—including half of U.S. citizens surveyed—described the decision to end TPS as unjust. A similar number said the same about the suspension of the humanitarian parole program, which had previously provided a legal pathway for Venezuelan migrants.
Concerns also extend to recent deportations. Sixty-one percent of respondents said they do not believe the deportations were conducted in accordance with U.S. law. Only 18 percent believed the process followed legal standards, while 21 percent were unsure.
Political Fallout for Florida Republicans
The political consequences of these policy changes could become evident in the 2026 midterms. When asked about members of Florida’s congressional delegation, including former Senator and now Secretary of State Marco Rubio, respondents expressed diminished support.
Rubio, once seen as a strong ally of the Venezuelan exile community, recently sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that stopped short of opposing the end of TPS. “That went over very badly,” Gamarra said. “It felt like betrayal.”
Gamarra also pointed to Cuban American lawmakers Mario Díaz-Balart, María Elvira Salazar, and Carlos Giménez as having miscalculated. “They campaigned as defenders of immigrants,” he said. “Now, they look out of step.”
Whether this shift translates to significant electoral change remains uncertain, but Gamarra emphasized its potential. “If half of Trump’s Venezuelan voters are reconsidering their support, that could be enough to sway future elections.”
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Voices from the Community
Gustavo Garagorry, president of the Venezuelan American Republican Club of Miami-Dade, said in an interview with Politico, “I’m really embarrassed by what’s happening to Venezuelans… More than one is on the verge of a heart attack over this.”
Representative Maria Elvira Salazar, whose district includes parts of Miami-Dade, told Politico, “Do not be scared yet, because chances are we’re going to be able to find a solution.”
Without new visas, thousands of Venezuelan TPS holders could lose their work permits and face deportation by April of next year. Miami Republicans like Salazar and Diaz-Balart are now backing legislative efforts such as Salazar’s Dignity Act, which combines stricter border enforcement with paths to legal residency.
Source: Newsweek
3 comments
Thank you ICE for deporting these MAGA tards who got their faces ate by the leopards. Love how ICE is deporting all these MAGA supporters, immigrants were never known for their intelligence.
I can’t help people who are extremely stupid, and these people are extremely stupid
Well duh.. Later dummies! Can’t wait to see the broccoli heads get dumped from th NE!