The Cuban-American Republican Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar revealed this Sunday that she spoke directly with President Donald Trump after posting a controversial video in which she claimed that his immigration policy had "gone too far" and that many Hispanics felt "betrayed."
Salazar shared in an interview with "Face the Nation" from CBS News that she had a private conversation with Trump in which she requested him to maintain the support he garnered among Hispanic voters in the 2024 elections.
The representative for District 27 of Florida described the exchange as "fantastic" and assured that Trump was "very courteous" and "very receptive."
"I hope he was paying attention to what I was saying. But he listened to me," Salazar stated, without confirming whether the president had accepted his proposals.
According to his account, during the conversation he directly urged Trump not to squander the political support the Republicans had gained among Hispanics.
"Sir, you have this historic moment in which you can retain the treasure that brought you to the Republican Party in 2024," she recalled having told him. Salazar further asserted that no previous president had achieved the level of Hispanic voter turnout that, according to her, Trump reached.
Last Thursday, the congresswoman published a bilingual video filmed in front of the White House in which she claimed that "the same Hispanics who helped him reach the White House in 2024 now feel betrayed."
Salazar also stated that of the approximately 50,000 people detained in July, around half had no criminal record.
During the interview on Sunday, the Cuban-American emphasized that Trump is receiving incomplete information about the consequences of his immigration policy.
"I believe that some of your advisers are compromising your legacy," he stated. However, he avoided naming specific officials when host Margaret Brennan mentioned, among others, the border czar, Tom Homan, and National Security Adviser, Stephen Miller.
"He is the only elected official in the White House. He is the one who has to decide whom to listen to and whom not to," Salazar replied.
Salazar clarified, however, that her criticisms do not indicate a political distancing from Trump. The congresswoman maintained that the president understands the differences among the various profiles of unauthorized immigrants and asserted that he has the political capability to promote immigration reform with bipartisan support.
Trump had already publicly responded to the congresswoman's criticisms, maintaining his political support but making his disagreement clear: "I support her, and yes, I have seen it. I do not agree with her."
The Department of Homeland Security also rejected Salazar's questions and defended ICE's actions. "There will be no amnesty for illegal immigrants. Not now, not ever," the agency stated in a response released this week.
Salazar's position has also sparked criticism within conservative circles. Commentator Tomi Lahren urged Trump to withdraw his support for the congresswoman after deeming her message a "betrayal" of the president and his voters.
The controversy also arises in the full campaign for District 27 in Florida, where Salazar is seeking re-election against the Cuban-American Democrat Eliott Rodríguez. An internal poll by Bendixen & Amandi International, conducted among 600 likely voters on behalf of Rodríguez's campaign, showed both candidates tied at 45% among the surveyed voters, a measurement that, due to its partisan origin, should be interpreted accordingly.
Rodríguez has taken advantage of the confrontation to question Salazar's immigration stance, accusing her of criticizing policies of the administration that she previously helped fund from Congress.
Salazar also spoke on CBS about the situation in Venezuela and defended the upcoming meeting between Trump and the interim president Delcy Rodríguez, despite his strong previous criticisms of the Venezuelan leader.
The congresswoman described Rodríguez as "a necessary evil for now to stabilize" Venezuela and stated that his involvement is part of what she perceives as the process toward a future political transition in the country.
El debate sobre las deportaciones y sus límites sigue generando tensiones incluso dentro del Partido Republicano. Sigue de cerca todos los desarrollos en
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