A new WRAL/WSOC poll revealed the stance of North Carolina residents on several key issues in the Republican Party campaign.
Nearly two-thirds of Hispanic respondents say Iryna's Law made their communities safer, though they are divided on the immigration detentions The results, based solely on their legal status, reveal the findings.
Half support that the participation of transgender students in school sports teams should be determined by their sex at birth.
La Survey conducted through SurveyUSA The survey obtained the opinions of 900 North Carolina adults from October 7-11, 2026. Hispanic adults represented 8% of the weighted sample.
Enlace Latino NC analyzed the data on people from the Hispanic community who responded to the WRAL/WSOC survey.
Public safety and Iryna's Law
In terms of public safety, the survey measured the impact of the Iryna Act, a package of judicial reforms prompted by Republican lawmakers after the fatal stabbing of Iryna Zarutska on the Charlotte light rail.
La HB 307, known as Iryna's LawIt modifies the conditions for release on bail, adds aggravating factors to sentences, and makes changes to mental health procedures and the death penalty.
After receiving the description of the law, 64% of Hispanic respondents stated that the measure made their community safer (23% “much safer” and 41% “somewhat safer”).
This level of perceived safety exceeds the state average (53%), the average for white adults (52%), and the average for African American adults (47%). On the other hand, 30% of Hispanic respondents felt it made no difference, and 7% said it made them feel less safe.
Regarding general bail guidelines for suspects in violent crimes without a specific legal definition, 39% of Hispanics approve of the current guidelines. On the other hand, 19% disapprove, and a high 43% are unsure.
Tactics and priorities for migration control
The data shows that Hispanic adults make a clear distinction between community safety and indiscriminate immigration tactics.
- Focus on serious crimes: When asked how federal authorities should prioritize their resources, 48% of Hispanic respondents demanded that attention be focused on people convicted of violent or serious crimes. This figure significantly exceeds the state average (32%), white adults (28%), and African American adults (34%). Another 22% prefer to focus resources on people charged with serious crimes.
- Rejection of arrests without a criminal record: Only 7% of Hispanics favor enforcing the law against any undocumented person regardless of their criminal history. In contrast, nearly a third of white adults (29%), 14% of African Americans, and 23% statewide support indiscriminate arrests.
On the other hand, 48% of Hispanic adults oppose authorities detaining people solely based on their immigration status if they have not been charged or convicted of another crime.
Overall support for this practice is at 41%, but the intensity is very low: only 4% of Hispanics strongly support detentions based solely on immigration status (compared to 26% among white adults and 20% statewide). Eleven percent are unsure.
Student sports and transgender students
The survey also assessed regulations on transgender athletes in school sports, a legislative issue promoted by conservative candidates.
Half of Hispanic respondents (50%) believe that transgender students' participation on school teams should be based on their sex assigned at birth. This position places the Hispanic electorate close to the state average (54%) and between white adults (58%) and African Americans (44%).
21% prefer that eligibility be determined individually (based on age, sport, and physical development). Meanwhile, 12% support basing it on current gender identity, and 18% are unsure.
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Hurricane Helene Response
Regarding government management after the passage of Hurricane Helene In the west, 48% of Hispanic respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the official response. Of those, 24% said they were somewhat dissatisfied and another 24% very dissatisfied.
Dissatisfaction is at 50% statewide overall. For white adults, it's 56%, and for African American adults, it's 40%.
Thirty-eight percent of Hispanic respondents are satisfied with the answer, of whom 35% are somewhat satisfied and 3% are very satisfied. This compares to 37% statewide, 32% among white adults, and 45% among African American adults.
14% of Hispanic respondents are unsure.
Methodology
SurveyUSA conducted the online survey with a non-probability sample of adult panelists selected by Lucid Holdings LLC.
Responses were weighted according to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) objectives for gender, age, race, education level, and home ownership, as well as according to North Carolina party affiliation data.
The reported credibility interval of ±4.2 percentage points applies to the entire sample. The published tables do not include an independent confidence interval or the unweighted number of respondents from the Hispanic subgroup. Therefore, differences involving that subgroup should be interpreted with caution.
Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
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