Donald Trump's Immigration Speech Leads to Fallout with Latino GOP Leaders

Donald Trump is facing backlash on Thursday from some of his top conservative Latino surrogates following his Wednesday night Phoenix, Arizona, immigration speech — one that they consider anti-immigrant.

With their influence, the Republican presidential nominee had shown signs last month that he was softening his approach toward undocumented immigrants, drawing the ire of many of his original supporters who were attracted to the New York businessman because of his harsh stance on immigration. However, in recent weeks, he led some Latino leaders to believe he had a change of heart that could have even provided a path to citizenship.

"There was so much hope," said Jacob Monty, a member of Trump's Hispanic advisory council. "He used us as props."

Although Latino leaders had expected their influence to include a more humane element to Trump's overall immigration plan, Monty said that was not present in the Wednesday night speech.

"I was a strong supporter of Donald Trump when I believed he was going to address the immigration problem realistically and compassionately," said Monty, a Houston attorney, told Politico. "What I heard today was not realistic and not compassionate."

Immigration policy experts from both parties have routinely said that deporting the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants currently in the country is a completely unrealistic endeavor.

Alfonso Aguilar, president of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles, said he felt misled by Trump and his campaign after the Republican nominee said those immigrants without criminal records would not be deported.

"For the last two months, he said he was not going to deport people without criminal records," Aguilar said on CNN. He added: "And then we heard yesterday, and I was totally disappointed — not surprised, but disappointed — and slightly misled, because he gave the impression and the campaign gave the impression until yesterday morning that he was going to deal with the undocumented in a compassionate way."

However, the exodus of Latinos from the Trump camp may not translate into Hillary Clinton supporters.

"I'm going to flip, but not flop," Massey Villarreal, a Houston businessman, told NBC Latino. "I am no longer supporting Trump for president, but cannot with any conscience support Hillary (Clinton)."

Trump may see a vote of no confidence among his 23-member-strong Hispanic advisory board, with reports of half of the members readying their resignations Thursday.

The Republican Party has been losing Latino support in its leadership for months. In June, the Republican National Committee's head of Hispanic media relations, Ruth Guerra, resigned after telling co-workers she was not comfortable in a job where she was tasked to help get Trump elected.

If money is any indicator, however, Trump supporters were drawn to his Wednesday appearances. Trump raised more than $5 million in small donations during his afternoon news conference with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and during his speech on immigration in Phoenix, Trump campaign digital director Brad Parscale told the Wall Street Journal.

The speech was a shock to many following what was understood to be a relatively friendly private sit-down with Peña Nieto — a win for many in the Latino pro-Trump camp. Trump said at a joint press conference that they had set aside the issue of who would pay for the multi-billion, Trump-proposed wall along the Mexico-U.S. border as a way to focus on common issues such as trade and security.

"We did discuss the wall; we didn't discuss payment of the wall," Trump told reporters at a brief press conference alongside Peña Nieto. "That will be for a later date."

While the Mexican president did not dispute the claim while he stood alongside Trump, he shortly thereafter contradicted Trump and posted on social media that Mexico would not pay for the wall.

"At the start of the conversation with Donald Trump, I made it clear that Mexico will not pay for the wall," Peña Nieto tweeted.

In Phoenix, Trump responded to Peña Nieto, saying, "Mexico will pay for the wall, believe me — 100 percent — they don’t know it yet, but they will pay for the wall." He added: "They're great people, and great leaders, but they will pay for the wall."

Angelica Salas, chair of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of America Action Fund, served up harsh criticism for Trump's Wednesday speech, saying viewers saw "the makings of a tyrant who is racist" in the speech.

She added: "A 10-point deportation plan is still mass deportation and the American public should see right through Trump's charade."

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr Commons