Hispanic officers hold views similar to those of white officers on a variety of issues related to recent high-profile incidents between blacks and police, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. But when it comes to working with federal authorities on enforcing immigration laws, the views of Hispanic officers align more closely with those of black officers. Hispanics make up 12 percent of the full-time sworn law enforcement officers in the U.S. A survey of a sample of those officers was taken last year.
There were four key findings: Like most officers, Hispanics have mixed feelings about their work, with about half saying their job often or nearly always frustrates them; 72 percent of both white and Latino officers say recent fatal encounters between blacks and the police are isolated incidents rather than signs of a broader problem; similarly, about seven in 10 Hispanic and white officers say high-profile incidents between blacks and police have made their jobs more difficult; and a majority of both Latino (60 percent) and black (64 percent) officers say it should be up to federal authorities to identify undocumented immigrants.