Crime & Gun Violence

There were more mass shootings in the United States in 2023 than any other year on record. Latino voters frequently cite crime and gun violence as one of their top concerns, especially how it impacts communities of color. Much of the concern revolves around school safety and the seemingly easy access to guns. School shootings in Latino-populated communities such as Uvalde, Texas, and Parkland, Florida, have brought this issue even closer to home in recent years. About 50 percent of Latino voters say they’d love to see officials take more action on universal background checks, securing school entries, and mental health programs and counseling, according to a poll by Unidos US. Young voters, especially, have grown up with mass shootings in schools, and small Latino business owners worry about any rise in crime.

HOW THIS ISSUE IMPACTS YOU: Whether it be through hate-motivated violence, city gun violence, or police violence, Latinx communities are among the most threatened groups. Gun violence reaps generational cycles of trauma throughout our communities, where conversations about mental health are still stigmatized, further deepening the devastating impact of this crisis.

DID YOU KNOW? In 2024, the Supreme Court is deciding three cases that could have major ramifications for how guns are regulated in the United States. Your current and future choices for president can have an enormous influence on how cases like these are decided, especially given that several judges are at or near retirement age and appointments are likely to be made in the coming years.