In a striking departure from the White House line, Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) has launched a campaign ad criticizing President Trump's immigration enforcement tactics, saying the administration's approach is alienating the very voters who helped deliver Florida to the GOP in 2024.
The ad, released Thursday, features Salazar directly addressing Trump: "The same Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed today." She goes on to argue that Republicans can champion immigration reform without resorting to what she calls "too far" measures, invoking historical comparisons: "You can be for immigration what Lincoln was for slavery and Reagan was for communism."
Salazar, who is seeking a third term in November, stops short of endorsing amnesty. Instead, she calls for policies that offer "a dignified life in this promised land" for undocumented immigrants who have been in the country for years and have clean records.
The ad is slated to run on television and digital platforms across South Florida, and her campaign says it's the first in a series of spots ahead of the midterms. The timing is notable: Decision Desk HQ, a nonpartisan election forecaster, recently shifted its rating of the race from "solidly Republican" to "likely Republican," signaling a tighter contest than expected.
Trump endorsed Salazar in February, praising her "Wisdom and Courage" in taking on the "Corrupt Fake News." But the new ad marks a clear break from the president's hardline immigration posture, which has included mass deportation operations that have drawn criticism from immigrant communities.
The tension came to a head earlier this week when Salazar publicly questioned the detention of Luis Galeano, a Venezuelan exile journalist who has been living in Miami while his U.S. asylum application has been pending for seven years. Venezuelan authorities stripped Galeano of his citizenship due to his criticism of the regime.
"I have been clear with the Administration: enforce the law and deport dangerous individuals, but do not treat political exiles like criminals," Salazar said in a statement. "We are still learning the details of his detention, but his case must be reviewed immediately and with the full weight of what he has already endured."
Salazar's legislative record reflects her stance. She introduced the Dignity Act last year, a bipartisan bill that would grant legal status to undocumented immigrants who arrived before 2021 and have no criminal record, provided they pay $7,000 in restitution plus back taxes. The bill does not create a path to citizenship, a point Salazar emphasizes to counter accusations of amnesty.
Her Democratic opponent, Eliott Rodriguez, the son of Cuban immigrants, has also hammered the administration's immigration policies. In a January ad, Rodriguez said, "This community is built by hard-working immigrants just like them. Yes, secure borders matter, but so does due process and our constitution. When our leaders stay silent as these rights are trampled on, that silence is not leadership."
The race in Florida's 27th Congressional District, which includes parts of Miami and one of the highest foreign-born populations of any House district, is shaping up to be a bellwether for GOP messaging on immigration. Salazar's ad suggests she's betting that a more moderate tone will resonate with the district's diverse electorate, even if it puts her at odds with the president.
The White House has not yet responded to requests for comment on Salazar's ad or her remarks about Galeano's detention.
