Some Venezuelan American voters in Doral, a Miami-Dade city that backed President Donald Trump in 2024, say their support has faded about nine months after the capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. CBS News spoke with Andrea Ramos, a naturalized citizen from Venezuela, who in January praised Trump for Maduro’s capture. Now she said she feels “disappointed” and “betrayed,” mainly over immigration enforcement.
Doral has the largest Venezuelan population of any city in the country. Local business owners say masked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on city streets have cut foot traffic and sales. Stephanie Caro, who runs a family coffee shop there, said the fear is widespread and that people are changing their daily routines.
The story cites a CBS News Battleground Tracker poll released in October. It found 60% of Hispanic likely voters planned to back congressional Democrats, compared with 39% for Republicans. In the 2024 CBS News exit polls, 51% of Hispanics said they voted for Democrats and 46% for Republicans. The poll also found 59% of Hispanic likely voters said the administration’s focus on deportation was too much.
Doral’s Republican mayor, Christi Fraga, declined three times to say whether she still supports Trump. She said she supports many of his policies but has raised questions about others. Ramos, for her part, has not decided how she will vote in the midterms.
