The political landscape has been shifting in Miami, and immigration is the latest issue to cause a rift in the Republican Party, as Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) has broken with President Donald Trump.
In the 30-second advertisement, the Florida Republican broke with the president’s immigration efforts, arguing that his “immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far.”
“The same Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed today,” Rep. Salazar argued.
Despite the president touting his immigration enforcement as successful, the advertisement argues that “in July, 50% of ICE detainees had no criminal convictions or pending charges,” citing ICE data. Because of this, Rep. Salazar issued a dire warning, urging the president to "be careful [with] what your advisors are telling you about immigration policy."
Rep. Salazar is running for re-election against Democrat Eliott Rodriguez, a former CBS News Miami newscaster who believes that it's time for the congresswoman to leave the House. The question remains, however, if voters believe the same.
Last year, Miami voters elected Eileen Higgins to serve as the 44th mayor of Miami. She defeated Emilio Gonzalez in a runoff election, handing Republicans a loss.
As Republicans continue to lose grip of the majority in the House, immigration takes center stage in the political debate that will culminate in the November elections.
"You can be for immigration what Lincoln was for slavery and Reagan was for communism," Rep. Salazar tells the president, adding, "I'm not talking about giving [immigrants] amnesty. I'm talking about giving them a dignified life in this promised land."
Last year, Rep. Salazar introduced an updated version of the DIGNITY Act.
The lawmaker has pushed the bipartisan bill, arguing that it will “fix our nation’s broken immigration system,” while fending off against conservative critics.
