Economic uncertainty, immigration, and housing costs dominate top concerns for Latinos

Voces Unidas and COLOR shared topline findings from the 2026 Colorado Latino Policy Agenda survey with reporters today, offering a preview of some of the issues shaping the lives and priorities of Latino voters across the state.

The survey is part of the Colorado Latino Agenda, a statewide public research initiative co-led by Voces Unidas and COLOR.

This is the sixth year of the research. BSP Research surveyed 1,606 Latino registered voters across Colorado between July 1 and August 11, making it the largest annual survey of Latino voters in the state. The full 2026 Colorado Latino Policy Agenda report will be released publicly on September 29.

The topline findings shared with reporters show a familiar pattern that has become harder to ignore.

Economic concerns remain at the center of what Latino voters want government to address. Forty-three percent say their financial situation has gotten worse over the past year, compared with 22% who say it has improved. Housing affordability has also become a much bigger concern, with affordable housing rising from 13% as a federal policy priority in 2025 to 28% this year.

“Six years into this research, Latino families have been remarkably clear about what we need from government,” said Alex Sánchez, president and CEO of Voces Unidas. “We want wages that keep up with the cost of living, housing and healthcare we can afford, and the opportunity to work hard and build a better life for our families. The problem is no longer a lack of information. The problem is a lack of action.”

That frustration is also showing up in how Latino voters view the direction of the state.

For the first time since the Colorado Latino Policy Agenda began, more Latinos believe Colorado is moving in the wrong direction than the right direction. Forty-six percent say the state is on the wrong track, compared with 40% who say it is headed in the right direction.

At the same time, this year’s economic pressures are being compounded by an increasingly hostile environment for immigrant families.

Protecting immigrant rights and immigration reform remain among the leading federal priorities identified by Latino voters. The survey also shows that immigration enforcement is no longer something happening at a distance from many Latino families.

“This year, that economic struggle is being made worse by increasingly hostile attacks on immigrant families,” Sánchez said. “People are trying to make a living and take care of their children while also worrying about whether someone they love could be detained or deported. That fear is now part of daily life for too many families, and Latino voters are clear about who they blame for the direction the country is headed.”

The survey also points to strong support for specific policy solutions.

Seventy-seven percent support allowing Colorado residents to sue ICE agents and other federal officials who violate their rights or cause harm during immigration enforcement. Sixty percent oppose allowing the governor to voluntarily share immigrants’ personal information with ICE.

On economic policy, 87% support overtime pay after 40 hours for all workers, including agricultural workers. Seventy-eight percent support limits on annual rent increases for existing tenants. Eighty-nine percent say Colorado should put safeguards in place against harms caused by artificial intelligence.

The survey also found deep concern about the influence of money in politics. Eighty-one percent are concerned that campaign contributions from large companies and wealthy donors make it harder for Latino communities to see action on housing, wages, education, healthcare and civil rights.

Education is another area where the findings point toward opportunity. Latino voters are nearly four times more likely to move toward supporting a local school tax increase when the funding is explicitly tied to closing achievement gaps and accelerating learning for Latino students.

These toplines are only part of the picture.

On September 29, Voces Unidas and COLOR will release the full 2026 Colorado Latino Policy Agenda report and host an online community presentation. Community organizations, advocates, elected officials, service providers and other partners from across Colorado are encouraged to join and hear a deeper analysis of the findings. Click here to register.

The full report will look beyond the statewide toplines and examine differences across regions, congressional districts and demographic groups.

For Voces Unidas, the research will also help ground the Western Colorado Latino Policy Summit in October in Grand Junction. Latino leaders from across Western Colorado will use the findings to identify shared regional priorities and begin developing policy solutions for the 2027 legislative session.

“The message from this year’s survey is not complicated,” Sánchez said. “Latino families want economic security. We want dignity. We want our families protected. And we want leaders who are willing to fight for those things. We have spent six years telling policymakers what our community needs. Now we need them to act.”

The full 2026 Colorado Latino Policy Agenda will be released September 29.

Learn more about the Colorado Latino Agenda, review the survey data and access the full report when it is released at www.coloradolatinoagenda.org.