Florida Republican María Elvira Salazar Breaks With Trump on Immigration, Says Hispanic Voters Feel ‘Betrayed’
Florida Republican Rep. María Elvira Salazar is taking a rare step for a member of her own party by publicly challenging President Donald Trump over his immigration agenda, warning that some Hispanic voters who helped deliver his 2024 victory now feel abandoned by his administration’s enforcement policies.
In a new campaign advertisement released ahead of the midterm elections, Salazar speaks directly to Trump and argues that some immigration enforcement actions have gone beyond what many Latino voters expected.
“Mr. President, some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far,” Salazar says in the ad. The message represents one of the most direct criticisms of Trump’s immigration approach from a Republican lawmaker who has generally supported stronger border enforcement.
Rather than opposing immigration enforcement altogether, Salazar frames her argument around how policies are being carried out and their impact on immigrant communities. “Be careful what your advisers are telling you about immigration policy,” she tells Trump. “The same Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed today.”
Salazar cites data showing that 50% of people detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in July had no criminal record. She argues that the administration should focus enforcement efforts while also considering the experiences of immigrant families who have lived in the United States for years.
“I’m not asking you to give amnesty,” Salazar says in the advertisement. “I’m asking you to give immigrants a dignified life in this promised land.” Salazar represents Florida’s 27th Congressional District, which includes large parts of Miami-Dade County, where about three-quarters of residents identify as Hispanic. Trump won the district by nearly 15 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election.
The debate around ICE has become particularly visible in Florida, where state and local agencies have participated heavily in the 287(g) program, which allows certain law enforcement officers to perform immigration enforcement duties under ICE supervision. Florida has had more participating agencies in the program than any other state, according to federal data.
The state has also faced scrutiny over immigration detention conditions. A Department of Homeland Security inspector general report examined Florida’s temporary detention facility known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” finding that nearly 80 immigrant detainees were briefly held in small metal enclosures at the site before it closed during the summer.
Salazar’s district includes many Cuban American and other Latino voters who have historically prioritized issues including economic opportunity, opposition to left-wing governments in Latin America, and immigration policy.
She has built her political identity around a combination of conservative positions and advocacy for some immigration reforms. The congresswoman is seeking reelection in a district where immigration remains a central issue for voters. Her Democratic challenger is Eliott Rodriguez, a former South Florida television news anchor who is also Cuban American.
