Ramon Montoya is the kind of immigrant Republicans think they can win over. He works hard at the restaurant he opened a year ago, put two kids through college and loves at least one Republican president.

“When Ronald Reagan, our president, it was him who (passed) amnesty for immigrants. Many people forget that. I don’t forget.”

And he’s right.  Reagan did sign an amnesty bill back in the mid-80s.

“I believe in the idea of amnesty who have put down roots and who have lived here even though sometimes back they may have entered illegally," the popular Republican president said then.

Trump's party now?
But Montoya says the nation’s attitude toward immigrants shifted after 9/11, and he’s not sure there’s room for even Ronald Reagan in the modern Republican Party – at least not the version personified by Donald Trump.

Montoya’s daughter, Isabel, won’t even say Trump’s name.

“As a business person, he’s awesome. I think he’s very smart, very savvy. But he’s definitely hurt a lot of people and humiliated a lot of immigrants. We are not all criminals. We have been working here so hard to make it in this country and to hear something like that, it definitely hurts.” 

Lynn Tramonte is an immigration activist with a group called America Voice.

“This is not just a policy issue. This is about our families and real people. It’s about our lives. And they just don’t get that. They think it’s about a sound bite solution and secure the border and who can be the angriest.

What it could be?
Among the lives very much affected is that of Maria Apaestegui. She’s been in the U.S. for 13 years, and her hope of remaining with her 12-year-old son rests with an executive order from President Obama allowing undocumented immigrants  who have minor children here to remain.

“We make our lives here, we pay taxes here. We work here. No reason to leave.” 

 David Leopold is an immigration attorney, who says the GOP is missing an opportunity.

"You’re talking about a pro-family, hard-working core of voters that would gravitate to the Republican Party. But the Republican Party nationally and in Ohio is pushing away Latino voters through their absolute refusal to fix a broke system."

And it may have missed with Ramon Montoya. When the night ended, he said he’s leaning 60-40 in favor of Democrats, though he’ll be listening carefully to what Hillary Clinton and the others have to say about immigration.