BEAUMONT, Texas — Hispanic voters took a big right turn in an election dominated by outrage over the high cost of food and housing.
According to exit polls from NBC News, Trump's Hispanic vote percentage beat the previous record, set by George W. Bush's in 2004.
12News spoke to some Southeast Texas Hispanic voters about the key issues that motivated them.
"I knew in my heart...she's gonna lose a lot of Hispanic voters," said League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) section 19 district director Zulema Escobedo.
Escobedo says there are different intricacies of the Hispanic vote, but that she's noticed they tend to shift more conservatively on issues like the economy and abortion.
"Obviously a lot of us that are democrats. There's a lot of people that are republicans but even there, we're still pro-life on either side," Escobedo said.
Epifanio Munguia lives in Orange and he echoed Escobedo's statement saying he's staunchly pro-life.
"You know we need to protect babies," said Munguia.
Munguia and others say the economy was top of mind when they went to the polls.
"You go to the store and you buy groceries and it seems like everything has just increased. It doesn't seem, I mean that's exactly what has happened and so I believe that's also why the Hispanic community has voted for Trump because they're tired of what's happened here in the last couple of years," Munguia said.
Immigration is also at the forefront. Escobedo says family and friends tell her they're divided.
"We have people that say you know my job I feel insecure. Is someone new that's coming that hasn't contributed here you know that maybe I clean and I'm talking about basic jobs you know I clean a hotel I get paid $10 an hour, is this new person coming in gonna come in and say I'll do it for $7 an hour," Escobedo said.
Escobedo says LULAC is a nonpartisan group and is committed to maintaining a positive relationship with the president no matter who is in office.