Hispanic evangelicals are turning on Trump. But will they vote for Democrats?

The Rev. Juan Carlos Calderón, pastor of the Un Nuevo Comienzo Assemblies of God church in Lake Worth Beach, Florida, says he is now inclined to vote for Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Jolly.

Calderón, a Venezuelan immigrant, previously supported Donald Trump in 2024 because he believed the administration would focus deportations on gang members or irresponsible immigrants. However, he said he was wrong after two members of his congregation without criminal records were detained and forced to leave the United States. In one instance, a pregnant U.S. citizen and her two children left the country after the father spent three months in detention.

The administration's mass deportation agenda has caused congregation members to fear attending church or work, leading to a decline in church finances. To support himself, Calderón took a second full-time job as a warehouse coordinator after eight years as a pastor. While he is leaning toward the Democratic candidate for governor, he remains undecided regarding the Senate race.