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President Ronald Reagan famously told Hispanic adviser Lionel Sosa that Latinos were Republicans who “just don’t know it yet.” President Donald Trump’s breakthrough in 2024 demonstrated that potential. Hispanic voters registered among the largest shifts toward Republicans — then swung sharply against us in 2026, reversing much of that progress.
Hispanics did not abandon faith, family and freedom. Our party gave too many reasons to question whether we were governing by those principles.
I understand the work of rebuilding trust. In 2020, I defeated a Democratic incumbent and flipped a congressional district from blue to red. As a career firefighter, fire chief and mayor, I learned that confidence comes from service and results.
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Trump delivered extraordinary results securing the border. His administration restored consequences for illegal entry and backed our Border Patrol agents. Federal officials reported historically low crossings and zero Border Patrol releases throughout fiscal year 2026. Republicans had a signature accomplishment to showcase.
A protester lifts a sign in front of a dumpster that was set on fire during a protest against federal immigration arrests on June 11, 2025, in Seattle, Wash. (Rio Giancarlo/Getty Images)
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Yet, indiscriminate immigration enforcement undermined public support for it. Enforcement against longtime, peaceful residents shifted attention from dangerous criminals to frightened families. Democrats gained an opening we should never have given them, and the president’s signature accomplishment was turned into a liability at the ballot box.
I warned about this before the election. Americans wanted violent criminals deported, gangs dismantled and neighborhoods protected. They did not vote to deport abuelas who spent decades raising families and contributing to their communities.
We have the solutions: enforce lawful removal orders with due process. Exercise judgment and examine cases individually, considering criminal history, family ties, years here and economic contributions. Congress should develop legal options for longtime, peaceful contributors, including DREAMers, while preserving ironclad border security.
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We also had an economic record to run on. Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill expanded the child tax credit, created Trump Accounts, delivered “no tax on tips” relief for eligible workers and provided an additional senior deduction that helps more retirees avoid federal income taxes on Social Security. These achievements deserved attention and directly benefited Hispanic families.
Build on them: unleash American innovation, cut unnecessary regulations, expand domestic energy and help entrepreneurs grow.
Abroad, we must finish the job in Iran, ensuring the regime can never threaten the United States and our allies with nuclear weapons. America must defend and protect democracy, especially in our own Western Hemisphere.
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In Venezuela, Trump’s historic capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro opened the door to freedom. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s three-phase plan — stabilization, recovery and transition — must lead to a genuine democratic transition, culminating in free and fair elections as quickly as possible. And in Cuba, we must fulfill Trump’s promise to bring freedom to the Cuban people.
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Faith, family, freedom. Protect the border achievement. Restore judgment in enforcement. Deliver prosperity. Stand for democracy and freedom in our hemisphere. Do the hard work, and Republicans can earn back Hispanic voters’ confidence, creating a lasting, unbreakable majority-making coalition for years to come.
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