But it’s not just abortion that swings many Hispanics to Cruz. Tencia Ruiz, whose father emigrated from Mexico, said O’Rourke’s stance on immigration doesn’t fall in line with those who have come to the United States legally.

“He went through the naturalization process,” Ruiz said of her father. “It’s not that hard if you do what you’re supposed to do instead of coming in illegally. Cruz is just saying that not everybody can come here. He’s saying we don’t want criminals here.”

Rose Wilcox, a Dallas woman whose great-grandfather emigrated from Mexico, echoed that sentiment. It’s not just white voters who are opposed to illegal immigration, she said.

“There’s a lot of immigrants coming in here that are illegal,” Wilcox said. “That’s the issue. Because we don’t have secure borders we don’t understand what they’re coming in for or what their intentions are.”