Arizona Latinos weigh disappointment with Trump and Biden, especially on the border

Polling shows that Latino voters broadly say that former President Donald Trump would do a better job securing the border than President Joe Biden. And a new focus group of Latino voters in Arizona who are frustrated with both major party nominees illustrated why the border has become such a political mess for Biden.

Trump’s tough talk on the border, and the actions he took as president, did not come close to winning unilateral praise from the dozen participants in the latest NBC News Deciders Focus Group series, produced in collaboration with Engagious, Syracuse University and Sago. The focus group specifically recruited participants who had soured on both Biden and Trump, an important swing cohort.

But from their vantage point, as key voters in a pivotal border state, more of the participants preferred Trump’s clarity on the issue compared to what many saw as a struggle by Biden to control immigration and secure the border — and, more broadly, to follow through on lofty 2020 campaign promises.

“I just feel like there’s not a clear, concise plan. There’s just this hot mess of: ‘Oh, we want people to come over, we don’t want people to come over.’” said Nicole G., a 39-year-old woman from Glendale who felt so negative about both major party candidates she currently backs independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Overall, eight of the 12 focus group participants said that Trump would do better than Biden on the border, while only three chose Biden and one wouldn’t choose. The consensus among the panel was that the border would remain a top emphasis for Trump and that, even if his policies could be harsh, he sent a clear message to those trying to cross the border illegally.

“His policies were more strict,” Melissa G., a