'Gone too far:' GOP candidate runs to Trump’s left on signature issue in deep red district
Rep. María Elvira Salazar, a Republican who represents a solidly red district in Miami, has broken with the president on immigration as the midterms cycle hits a fever pitch.
"Mr. President, some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far," Salazar said in a newly released campaign advertisement. "Be careful what your advisors are telling you about immigration policy. The same Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed today. You can be for immigration what Lincoln was for slavery and Reagan was for communism.
"I’m not talking about giving them amnesty. I’m talking about giving them a dignified life in this promised land."
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A Fox News poll released Wednesday found President Donald Trump’s overall approval rating at 39%, with 61% of registered voters disapproving of his job performance.
Voters disapprove of Trump generally by a margin of 61% to 39%, according to the poll. On immigration, however, only 56% of voters are unhappy with the president's performance, beating out his handling of the economy and foreign policy.
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Salazar’s break with the president on immigration follows a legislative record that has combined tougher enforcement measures with support for legal status reforms.
During her time in Congress, Salazar has supported tougher border enforcement while also backing legislation that would provide legal status to some long-term noncitizens, including through the bipartisan DIGNITY Act.
She also voted for the 2023 Secure the Border Act and the 2025 Laken Riley Act, which expanded immigration enforcement and required the detention of certain undocumented immigrants accused of crimes.
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Trump’s hardline stance on immigration, likewise, is nothing new.
The issue defined his initial rise to power during the 2016 presidential election, and he leaned heavily into promises of deportations while on the campaign trail in 2024. Amid the president’s hawkish rhetoric, Hispanics in places such as the Miami metropolitan area and along the Southern border shifted heavily to the right.
Trump has endorsed Salazar’s bid for re-election.
The Salazar campaign did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Thursday.