Jorge Franco on Hispanic Voters, Trump and Mass Deportation

Frederica Freyberg:
A growth in Hispanic voters who cast their ballots for Donald Trump helped him win Wisconsin and nationally. This even after Trump promised mass deportations and said immigrants poison the blood of our country. What were the drivers for Latinos to vote for the now President-elect? And what will Trump’s policies mean for them? We turn to Jorge Franco, CEO of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin. And nice to see you again.

Jorge Franco:
Frederica, thanks for having me. Wonderful to be with you again.

Frederica Freyberg:
So we spoke with you ahead of the election. Were you surprised the part Hispanic voters played in the result?

Jorge Franco:
I actually was not. There was a lot of rumblings already. The big concern for Hispanic voters certainly was the economy, the inflation that was in some cases just staggering. And I think that having lived that for numerous years, I think just drove many people to support former President Trump, now president-elect Trump and, and of course, his numbers showed in all segments, not just the Hispanic vote. So it was — in particular those of us who work in the low income community and community development, the pain factor is pretty high. And I think people are looking for a new day and that’s, you know, the outcomes spoke for themselves.

Frederica Freyberg:
So is it your sense that a Trump presidency will help reduce the cost of living, even though he talks about tariffs and other things?

Jorge Franco:
You know, and I will say that in my limited understanding, the inflation and the complexity of the factors that go into that, I’m not holding my breath on that particular note, to be candid with you. What I’m more focused on is how do we increase the income levels of those in our low and moderate income communities, not just here in Wisconsin, but across the country. And my work in Washington actually takes me down that path. So, you know, already the Federal Reserve mandates to control inflation and to optimize employment are like this. They’re contrary to each other in many ways and that leaves them in a conflicted situation. And frankly, focusing on the opportunities as a result of the job growth in America is going to be much more fertile and productive than what may or may not happen to the prices that we’re all being impacted by.

Frederica Freyberg:
So now that we’ve seen the change agents that Trump wants to appoint to his cabinet and elsewhere, do you take seriously his call for mass deportations?

Jorge Franco:
Well, I do and I don’t and I want to explain. So certainly the folks that, you know, he’s entitled, he won the election, certainly a resounding win for him. And so any president is entitled to bring their staff in and bring their select and pick and choose who they want to come in and work with them, subject to the advice and consent of the Senate and all that. We’ll see how that all plays out. But having said that, the question in my mind is, will the people, many of them returning, some of them already there before during his first presidency, will they be open to objective analysis and input that helps us all appreciate what’s important to GDP for Americans, because that in great part drives revenue to the government, enabling to pay its bills. And certainly, you know, the, the, the, the debt, the, the U.S. debt is, you know, has got to be dealt with. No doubt. You can’t just let that continue to roll out of control. But there are numerous factors and the question in my mind is, will individuals be open to receiving that input? And frankly, in the community, the economic stakeholders like the farmers in Wisconsin, dairy, agriculture, I mean, we’ve got to get ourselves organized so we have an effective message to share in an appropriate way and at the appropriate time, and sooner the better.

Frederica Freyberg:
Really, because does the need for workers in the U.S. and Wisconsin make these kinds of mass deportations untenable?

Jorge Franco:
The Wisconsin economy is so dependent on tens of thousands of immigrants working in agriculture and dairy, and in farming communities, and you take all that away, and the Wisconsin economy will tank. What does that mean for the American economy if any one state’s economy goes in the tank is a whole other analysis and discussion to have. But it’s a complexity of issues and you know, we have a history of working with everyone and anyone in what we do. And that’s just the mandate I have from the people who are, you know, the board of directors of the Hispanic Chamber and our members. My task is to go work with anyone and everyone and do the best we can to help those issues come to light so the best decisions are made in the interest of the economy.

Frederica Freyberg:
Great. Jorge Franco, thanks very much. Thanks for your time.

Jorge Franco:
You’re very welcome, Frederica. Nice to be with you.