Gallup: Obama Approval Plunges Among Hispanics

PRINCETON, NJ – President Obama’s job approval rating among Hispanics has dropped by 20 percent since January, according to a new Gallup poll analysis, suggesting many are angered by his handling of the immigration issue.

Hispanics' approval of President Barack Obama's job performance slipped to 57 percent in May, after falling from 69 percent in January to 64 percent in February. By contrast, whites' and blacks' approval of the president has been steady throughout 2010.

The two major drops in Hispanics' approval of Obama this year -- in February and May -- coincide with the time the president was under fire for not doing enough to promote comprehensive immigration reform in Congress.

"The decline in Obama's approval rating with Hispanics is seen mainly among those interviewed in Spanish: an 11-point drop in the past month and a total of 21 points since January."

Several leading Hispanics and Hispanic groups criticized Obama for not devoting more attention to immigration reform in the speech -- and, more specifically, for not fulfilling his campaign promise of making comprehensive immigration reform a top priority.

As one Hispanic activist wrote at the time, "For those looking for a strong statement in support of comprehensive immigration reform, the speech was a big disappointment." Illinois Rep. Luis Gutierrez was also publicly critical of Obama after the speech.

Read the full story at Gallup.com