The decision of Republican Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar to publicly confront President Donald Trump over his immigration policy, less than seven weeks before the midterm elections, represents an unusual maneuver for a legislator who is part of the same party as the president and who also has his support for re-election.
This is how Sean Foreman, a Political Science professor at Barry University, considered it in statements to CBS News Miami, after Salazar used her first campaign advertisement for the 2026 general elections to directly challenge some of the immigration measures of the Trump administration.
Salazar, who is seeking re-election for Florida's District 27, released a 30-second ad on Thursday in which he stated that some of Trump's immigration control measures "have gone too far" and warned about the impact they could be having on Hispanic voters.
“Mr. President, some of your immigration control measures have gone too far,” the congresswoman stated, before pointing out that in July, about half of the 50,000 people detained had no criminal record.
He also issued a political warning directly to Trump: "The same Hispanics who helped him reach the White House in 2024 now feel betrayed."
The message is particularly significant due to the electoral composition of the district that Salazar represents: Nearly three-quarters of its population is Hispanic, according to Census data cited by CBS News, and Trump received about 57% of the votes there in the 2024 presidential election, compared to approximately 42% for Kamala Harris.
Foreman interpreted that the announcement could be aimed at garnering support from independent and moderate voters who are dissatisfied with the administration's immigration measures, particularly in South Florida, where decisions such as the termination of TPS for Venezuelans and Haitians have a direct impact on numerous families.
The new ad takes those differences to another level by incorporating them directly into the electoral campaign and pointing fingers at the president for his decisions, even though Salazar shares views with Trump in other areas and has publicly supported much of his agenda, particularly his policy towards Cuba.
The Democratic rival of Salazar, former CBS News Miami anchor Eliott Rodriguez, also took the opportunity to question his record.
Rodriguez stated that the congresswoman is trying to present herself as a defender of immigrants while, in his view, her voting history does not always align with that narrative.
The strategy also involves political risks, according to Foreman, as Trump gave in February his "full and complete support" for Salazar's re-election.
We know how Donald Trump responds to criticism. He doesn't like it and typically responds with even stronger criticisms against the person who questions him, the scholar noted.
Until now, Trump had not publicly responded to Salazar's announcement .
The one that did react quickly was the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which strongly rejected Salazar's proposal and reaffirmed that the administration will continue with the immigration policy promised by Trump.
"Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Mullin, there will be NO amnesty for illegal immigrants. Neither now nor ever," stated a DHS spokesperson in a response given to Fox News and shared by journalist Bill Melugin.
The Department was even more direct when referring to the congresswoman: «Whether Congresswoman Salazar likes it or not, the men and women of ICE are enforcing the laws passed by Congress».
The DHS also stated that it prioritizes executing what it described as the largest deportation campaign in the history of the United States and dismissed any general easing of regulations for individuals without legal status.
The confrontation also sparked criticism from conservative sectors.
The commentator Tomi Lahren called on Trump to withdraw his political support for Salazar and described the congresswoman's stance as a "betrayal" to the president and his voters.
Salazar's differences with the administration regarding immigration matters, however, did not begin with this announcement.
The legislator has defended for years a combination of increased border security with mechanisms for the regularization of immigrants who have been in the United States for some time, work, pay taxes, and have no criminal record.
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