After casting her vote twice for Donald Trump, a Cuban resident of Miami has turned her back on the Republican Party. The rising cost of living, increasingly expensive health insurance, and the deportation of immigrants prompted her to shift her political stance, now supporting Democratic candidates in the United States midterm elections.
This is the story of Mayumi Castro Fernández, a 54-year-old who gained U.S. citizenship in 2013 and works cleaning airplanes at Miami International Airport.
In an interview published on October 31 by the Miami Herald, Castro Fernández explained that after years of supporting Trump, she chose to leave the Republican affiliation and register as an independent voter.
"If after all these years they haven't kept their promises... I don't have to wait another two years to say, 'Let's see what happens,'" she stated.
"Right now, I'm choosing another side," she added.
Her change of heart wasn't just talk. Castro Fernández is actively involved in the campaign of Democrat Eliott Rodríguez, who is trying to unseat Cuban-American Republican María Elvira Salazar from Florida's 27th Congressional District.
She is part of the 32BJ SEIU service workers union, whose members are engaged in electoral mobilization activities supporting Rodríguez.
Economic Concerns and Political Shifts
During her canvassing efforts across various Miami neighborhoods, Castro Fernández discusses with residents the issues most affecting their household finances.
The rising costs of gasoline, groceries, and rent are frequently mentioned as primary concerns.
Castro Fernández herself shares these worries. She believes that Florida's economic situation, particularly in Miami, has become increasingly challenging for those who rely on their wages.
Immigration Policies as a Turning Point
Beyond economic issues, Trump's immigration policies were another decisive factor in her shift in political allegiance.
The Cuban woman recalled the president's promises to deport immigrants with criminal records but did not anticipate that immigration raids would also impact families that had been settled in the United States for decades.
In the interview, she recounted the story of a family that had lived in the U.S. for 20 years, with children born here who attended college, while their parents lived in fear of ICE agents.
In September, María Elvira Salazar publicly criticized Trump's immigration policies, warning that they had gone too far, leaving some Hispanic voters feeling betrayed.
However, Eliott Rodríguez, her opponent, has questioned the congresswoman's legislative support for measures that allocated additional resources to federal immigration agencies.
Are Cuban-Americans Changing Their Views?
Castro Fernández's experience aligns with dissatisfaction reflected in some polls among Hispanic voters, though her personal decision does not necessarily indicate a widespread trend within the Cuban exile community.
Indeed, a recent study by Florida International University (FIU) showed that 76% of surveyed Cuban-Americans in Miami-Dade reject the increase in deportations of Cubans without legal status and without criminal records.
Nevertheless, 68% expressed their intention to vote for Republican candidates in the legislative elections. The survey was conducted between September 4 and September 29 with 1,004 adult Cuban-Americans.
The Miami Herald report also identified a trend that contrasts with Castro Fernández's experience: between October 2024 and October 2026, the number of Hispanics registered as Republicans in Miami-Dade increased by more than 14,000, while approximately 9,500 Hispanic voters left the Democratic registration.
Castro Fernández maintains that she will continue to monitor the performance of the politicians she now supports.
Her support for Democrats, she explained, will also depend on them fulfilling their promises of better wages, healthcare, and living conditions for workers.
She even warned that if she doesn't see results in two years, she will take to the streets again to advocate for another political change.
Understanding the Shift in Cuban-American Political Views
What were the main factors that led Mayumi Castro Fernández to leave the Republican Party?
The primary factors included the rising cost of living, expensive health insurance, and the impact of Trump's immigration policies, which affected established immigrant families.
How has Mayumi Castro Fernández's political involvement changed?
She is now actively participating in the campaign for Democrat Eliott Rodríguez, advocating for changes in Florida's 27th Congressional District.
Are there indications of a broader shift in Cuban-American political allegiances?
While individual cases like Castro Fernández's show dissatisfaction, a study indicates that a majority of Cuban-Americans in Miami-Dade still intend to vote Republican, despite some expressing discontent with deportation policies.