Incendiary rhetoric by the campaign of former President Donald Trump casting immigrants as criminals and calling for mass deportation is intensifying as the election draws near, and Jorge Franco of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin said the state’s workforce would be decimated if migrant workers had to leave. The Democratic candidates for president and U.S. Senator are polling higher in Wisconsin than their Republican counterparts, and Marquette Law School Poll Director Charles Franklin said enthusiasm to vote is also higher among Democrats.
 

Jorge Franco
CEO, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin

• More than 75,000 immigrants work in Wisconsin’s dairy and agriculture industries, according to Franco. Franco said a mass deportation program — as is being pushed by the Trump campaign — could prove disastrous to the state’s economy.
• Franco: “It’s vital to the state economy. If immigrants were to be gone tomorrow just in those sectors — and we’re not saying that’s the only sectors they work in. They’re in manufacturing. They’re in many aspects of the many, many sectors of the state economy. But just in those two alone, if they were gone tomorrow, our economy would tank. We’re so dependent on the workforce.”

Charles Franklin
Director, Marquette Law School Poll

• Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris is supported by 52% of registered and likely voters in Wisconsin compared to Republican candidate Donald Trump at 48%, according to polling released Oct. 2. In Wisconsin’s U.S. Senate race, incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin was up by 53% compared to Republican challenger Eric Hovde at 46%. Franklin discussed Baldwin’s ongoing advantage.
• Franklin: “This is an increase — it was a four point Baldwin lead in early September, 7% now. She’s been strong all year as Democrats quite unified behind her, but also doing well with independents. In the last two polls, though, she’s increased her advantage with independents. And I think that’s helping explain how we’ve gotten to a four or now a seven point lead. Hovde, on the other hand, is unifying Republicans so there’s less of a crossover vote than there was way back in the early spring.”

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