I agree with some of this piece, but I think the central thesis is overextended. As the author notes, the economy is by far the most important issue to Latino voters and has been for awhile.
So I think assigning so much blame to Democrats' messaging on immigration over the years is a bit of jumble in the logic. When it was rather that they didn't focus enough on the economy with Latino voters.
And as even the piece itself notes, immigration policy isn't monolithic in the polling either. DACA was popular and popular among Latino voters. That is a liberal immigration policy!
But I think other elements of it are correct. People often get Latino voters wrong, thinking they are voting primarily on racial identity. And Americans (and Latinos) have taken a rightward shift on immigration policy in recent years. And what activist groups may suggest isn't necessarily representative or popular.
However I also kinda take issue with framing policy solely around popularity/polling. It can often be a mistake! Politicians and messaging can change polling on issues- in some cases dramatically. And many voters aren't single issue voters and don't highly prioritize many issues. So there is a lot of room for politicians to advance good policy (that might not be popular).