Immigration has been a staple of President Trump's agenda since he entered politics, and Latin American residents in one Texas border county told Fox News Digital they fully support Trump's efforts. He said he is doing so.
Starr County, Texas, on the U.S.-Mexico border, is nearly 100 percent Latino and turned Republican in 1999. First time in over 130 years After Trump wins the 2024 election.
Starr County residents now see the border, immigration and the economy as top issues for the president's second administration.
“It's primarily about border security and cleaning up the economy, and getting back to normal with these horrendous prices that have gone through the roof,” Starr County Republican Party Chairman Marcus Canales said.
David Porras, a former farmer who switched from Democrat to Republican in 2024, said he wants to see President Trump follow through on his promises to address inflation, immigration and the economy.
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“I myself sold some land to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers” in connection with border wall construction, he said. “So we voted for it. Trump believes in building the wall.”
His comments are in line with a Fox News poll, which found that a quarter of voters said Trump's top priorities should be the economy, jobs, inflation and high prices, and a further 13% said he should address immigration. He said deportation should be the top priority.
Other residents also told FOX News Digital that they support President Trump's efforts to complete the border wall during his second term.
Amanda Garcia, vice chairwoman of the Starr County Republican Party, said the border wall should be President Trump's first focus after taking office.
“We need to consider ending it because we live here and we live in a border city,” she said. “It is important to ensure that your family is taken care of and that the entire immigration process is done the right way.”
Ross, a Starr County Republican, agreed, saying border security is one of the first things he wants Trump to address if he takes office.
Alberto Olivarez, who previously ran for sheriff in Texas and worked for Customs and Border Protection for 26 years, echoed similar sentiments. He said borders and the economy are “the most important priorities for our country” and “the things we hear people here complain about the most.”
Jay Pena, attorney for Rio Grande in Starr County, said the border is an “ugly, crude but necessary solution.”
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“I think it's hard to open the door to other ideas that might work in the long run, so a border wall is really the only solution we need,” he added.
Asked what she wanted from the Trump administration, Oneida, a Republican congresswoman from Starr County, said she wanted to see the wall completed.
Amanda said being so close to the border makes immigration personal for her and her neighbors in Starr County.
U.S. President Donald Trump participates in a signing ceremony in the President's Office at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, after the inauguration on January 20, 2025. (Melina Mara Pool/Getty Images)
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“We see a lot of things happening, but it's not about racism or what we want… it's about what's better for us,” she said. I did. “But it's for the families, it's for the kids who come here, and it all comes back to the kids. There's a lot of abuse, a lot of things that aren't being talked about, that need to be addressed. I think so.”
Olivarez predicted that Trump would keep his promise and complete the border wall.
“These are the policies he put forth during his first term,” he said. “They've been successful. People liked them. We've seen a lot of success with the Border Patrol in the last two years of his first term, and I think that I hope it continues.”
“He promised, I believe in him, and I believe he will follow through,” said Marissa, a Starr County resident.
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