Trump fixed the border but not inflation, say these voters

Mayor Jaime Escobar Jr., would be at his desk, inside his City Hall office, when something outside his window would catch his eye. Each person, or perhaps more than one, does it for you, through the historic town plaza in the small border town of Rome, Texas.

Very few times, there will be hundreds of people gathered in that same life. Many are traveling as families, already crossing the Rio Grande in the US There are steps on the river’s edge to help migrants with rocks, where Cusder Patrol (CBP) officers are often waiting for them. Most people, he says, would turn themselves in and begin the process of seeking asylum.

“It wouldn’t happen every single day … I even come to see it a few times a week at least,” Escobar told CBC news.

It was the strong growth he saw during the bid administration, the result of what he saw as a broken immigration system.

“I’m an immigrant family and we’re proud to say that, but we also believe that we have to have law and order,” said Escobar.

“There wasn’t a lot of reporting … we had open borders.”

Since Donald Trump was reelected, all that has changed. Escobar says there are few illegal riches in his city.

“It’s night and day, of course,” she said.

Escobar is a split voter – he supported Trump as a Republican for president, but voted for Democrats in lower office. One year later, he remains a satisfied Trump voter, one of several CBC news stories that spoke to him during a recent trip to southwest Texas.

We traveled to Starr County, home to Rome and other small border towns and villages, to get a better idea of ​​how voters feel one year after the election. Trump carried the district in 2024, becoming the first Republican nominee to win here in 132 years.

His promises to exchange anger and make life better helped deliver his historic victory, and shaped some of the biggest trends in the US

Trump’s slow build of new support among Latino voters has paid off here – more than 90 percent of Starr County’s population is Hispanic. This is a place where traditions are passed down from generation to generation, and family roots run deep.

Under Joe Biden, inflation has set deep in this County – one of the poorest places to live in the entire US Household income is about $ 38,000 a year. Good jobs can be hard to come by, as the community grows.

We found – One year later – Trump voters remain in support of his agenda, especially in relation to immigration, although there is more frustration with the high cost of living. Voters who supported Kamorani’s democrat Rini Harris never warmed to Trump at all – and those we spoke to had little faith that he would do the best.

According to CBPThe number of people caught along the southern border is at a 55-year low. On average, 279 people are now being stopped every day, down from more than 5,000 during the Biden administration’s extended tenure.

In the fiscal year that ends in September, more than 237,000 people were arrested, a significant decrease from the previous four years, which spent more than 1.8 million dollars. And most of those 2025 payments, according to CBP, happened during BIDEN’s final months.

Some Starr County residents told us they are also seeing a decline in drug dealers entering their community.

Jorge Bezan, 57, lives in a rural part of Starr County, and he says he is afraid of the dealers, who he said will drive psychologically into his community.

“With their loaded trucks, they come here on the roads – they crash, they crash into buildings,” he said.

“I’m afraid when my son has children, or I have my grandchildren … someone will run for them.”

Bezan is another divisive voter. He identifies as a Democrat and polls largely along party lines at a lower level, although he voted for Trump in 2016, 2020 and 2024. He was born and raised in Starr County, and he’s part of the backcountry community, and he’s part of the Hispanic community.

“Biden came and everything went to hell,” she said.

Now, he says these episodes have “completely stopped.” And for that reason, he stood by his vote even though, he says, Trump’s immigration RHETORIC “shocked” his people.

Fewer people may be crossing into the US, but Trump’s immigration policies, and his deportation campaign are of great concern to his critics.

Mindy Garza, a retired teacher who voted for Harris, is particularly concerned about immigration enforcement (ICE) enforcement.

“The way Hispanics are treated, just because they look a certain way … they’re attacked,” she said, while eating breakfast at Texas Cafe in Rio Grande City.

The family-run restaurant, which opened in 1939 and is still in its original location, has served as a gathering place for people to catch up, and sometimes talk politics.

But in this Color Weather, it was hard to get people to open up.

Becky Garza (NO FRIENDS MINDY) Runs a restaurant, which was opened by her grandmother. He didn’t want to talk about Trump, but he was happy to discuss how challenging it is to be a small business owner right now.

“Oh my God,” she said, sighing as she tried to sum up her challenges. “Prices on things go up and up, up and down, every minute of the day.”

And many people, he says, prefer to eat at home.

“We’re looking at cutting hours again. It’s been slow. The economy itself isn’t helping at all.”

Diana Baca also strives to make ends meet. She and her husband are over 65, and have an income. He tries to cut back on shopping – sticking to utilities and rarely buying meat.

Bacala doesn’t expect Trump to make things better. “He doesn’t want to help the lower class, the middle class. He does it for the upper class,” he said.

The division continued mainly along partisan lines in the nearby barbecue competition, where small families or set up smokers, tables and tasting stations. The few who were going to share their political views did not catch on.

“He’s a piece of shit,” Ludivina Garcia, 80, said of Trump. “Poor people suffer, old people like me.”

Garcia, who voted for Harris, thinks people who believe Trump’s promises about the economy have been misled.

“I can live on bread, potatoes and beans – but children can’t,” she said.

Cheapness is the only common ground between Trump and Harris voters.

“You can do something better,” said Beto Garza (no relation to Mindy or Becky) a working father of one.

Overall, he stands by his vote for Trump.

“I’m satisfied,” he said close to her ear, handing out samples of ribs to everyone who passed by. “I see a change.”

He has no problem with Trump’s Fithration or impeachment plans, and says it hasn’t affected anyone he knows.

Around this meeting, there are reminders of Hardline’s new policies. He entered the trees along the banks of the Rio Grande, a large military vehicle was stationed as a deterrent to anyone thinking of crossing.

When the CBP boat passed by, some bystanders waved hello.

Sergio Ace Rosales, 75, a retired military officer, is more than happy about the changes.

“I love it all … Chasing illegal aliens back, because that was my job back in the old days,” he said, adding “nothing to say about the old man, he’s doing great.”

Whether things are better or worse now in Starr County depends on who you ask.

Of the Trump Supporters CBC Supporters spoke to, no one regretted it. They were willing to give the President time to implement his vision, hoping that all his promises would be fulfilled.

“I know that President Trump and his administration have a plan to improve our economy. Have we seen all the good results of it? No, may,” said the Mayor of Escobar, “said Escobar, the Mayor of RekOBAR,” said the Mayor of SksOBAR, “said the Mayor of SksOBAR,” said Escobar, the Mayor of RekOBAR, “said Escobar, the mayor of Eskobo.

He thinks food prices need to come down more, but he’s glad to see the gas was so cheesy.

“In the area we have seen good results, but not to the extent that we might hope for now,” he said.

Trump’s critics simply hardened their positions. None of the pollsters were surprised by Trump’s actions or agenda.

It suggests that political divisions continue to run deep in this society. And that the arguments for the 2024 vote remain green.