Calderón leads Un Nuevo Comienzo, an Assemblies of God church in Lake Worth Beach. He said he initially supported Trump’s immigration agenda because he expected authorities to target criminals rather than immigrants without criminal records. “I was really wrong,” Calderón said in Spanish, according to Religion News Service. “They’re not looking for criminals.”
Two congregants were detained and subsequently had to leave the United States, Calderón said. In one case, a pregnant U.S. citizen and her two children left the country after her husband spent three months in immigration detention. Other congregants now fear going to work or church. As attendance and donations fell, Calderón took the warehouse coordinator job, ending eight years as a full-time pastor. He now leans toward Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Jolly, but remains undecided about the Senate race. “Really, my loyalty isn’t to a party. My identity is in Christ. My pastoral responsibility is with the people,” he said.
Why Hispanic Christians Are Rethinking Their Votes
His experience reflects a broader shift among Hispanic Protestants, many of whom backed Trump in 2024. According to the Public Religion Research Institute, 64 percent of Hispanic Protestant voters backed Trump that year. But an October 20 PRRI survey put that figure at 31 percent, down from 51 percent in 2024.
The story sparked heated debate online. “I will never understand how any devout Christian could possibly believe, in a million years, that Trump evinces ‘Christian values’ in any way, shape, or form,” one Reddit user wrote. Another criticized the timing of his change of heart, writing, “So only after his wallet was affected.” Others pointed to enforcement’s wider consequences, arguing it showed how much immigrants contribute to the community and economy. One commenter warned that unless Democrats do more to connect with ordinary voters, “this MAGA nightmare will just continue.”
As the midterms approach, Calderón urges voters to participate, even as some congregants consider sitting out. He said years of frustration with both parties’ immigration policies left some questioning whether either party supports families. Viewers couldn’t agree on what his story proves: a voter who only reconsidered once the cost reached his own church and paycheck, or a pastor caught between his faith and a policy he once trusted. The pews are emptier either way — and that is the part nobody in the comments disputed.
