María Elvira Salazar, the Republican congresswoman who has accused the president of going too far on immigration enforcement, doubled down on her criticism of the administration on Sunday, warning Donald Trump that some of his advisers were “compromising his legacy”.
In an interview with CBS News’s Face the Nation, the Florida representative who is locked in a tight race for re-election pleaded with the US president not to “squander” his relationship with Hispanic voters. Though she couched her remarks as criticism of top administration advisers, it was clear that her focus was on Trump’s much-vaunted ambition to carry out the largest mass deportation of undocumented immigrants in US history.
“I’m forewarning him and advising him as a member of Congress from the south Florida area that some of his advisers are just not presenting the whole picture,” she said.
Asked by Face the Nation whether she were referring to Tom Homan, Trump’s “border czar”, or Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff who has spearheaded the removal of undocumented children, Salazar placed the onus on Trump. “He is the only elected official in the White House. He is the one who has to determine who he listens and who he does not listen to. He is the president.”
Last week Salazar became a rare voice of internal criticism within the Republican party towards Trump when she released a ۳۰-second advert pointing out that even law-abiding undocumented immigrants were getting caught up in the aggressive federal sweep. The ad said: “In July, ۵۰% of the ۵۰,۰۰۰ people that were detained had no criminal record. Be careful what your advisers are telling you about immigration policy … The same Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in ۲۰۲۴ feel betrayed today.”
Salazar’s warning has been backed up by a slew of recent opinion polls that show many Hispanic voters who helped re-elect Trump in ۲۰۲۴ are now turning away from him. They are being repulsed by the rising cost of living and concern about his handling of the economy, as well as by the hardline immigration drive that has led to many hardworking, taxpaying undocumented immigrants being rounded up, detained and deported.
In her CBS News interview, Salazar described herself as “a proud Republican”. “I’m first-generation American, and I want to preserve the American values that are entrenched in the [Republican party] and that the Hispanics share”.
She is currently facing a tough re-election battle in her Miami-area district against her Democratic challenger, Eliott Rodriguez, despite having won in ۲۰۲۴ by ۲۰ points. Trump also won the district by ۱۵ points that year.
Salazar told CBS News that ۷۰% of Americans wanted to see some type of immigration reform. She also pushed back on the administration’s deportation of all undocumented immigrants irrespective of their criminal status.
“The average America understands the difference between the narco and the nanny, and the gangster and the gardener.”
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On Saturday, Trump responded to Salazar’s criticisms, saying: “She obviously doesn’t have a very strong feeling about the border. I do.” He added: “Without me, she wouldn’t have gotten elected.”
By breaking her silence on immigration, Salazar has put a spotlight on rising fears within Republican circles that the displeasure of Hispanic voters towards the administration’s policies could cost the party dear in November’s midterm elections. Several House seats in Colorado, Florida, Texas, Nevada and other states could be tipped in the Democrats’ favor as a result.
Steve Scalise, the second-most powerful Republican in the US House, acknowledged on ABC News’s This Week that immigration was creating divisions within his party. Asked what he thought of Salazar’s comment that many Hispanic voters feel betrayed, he said: “I don’t necessarily agree with that statement.”
He added: “When you look at what María said, obviously we have a lot of disagreements in Congress … Even among Republicans we have disagreements on how to actually get to the secure border that we have.”
