María Elvira Salazar Challenges Trump on Immigration: “Hispanics Feel Betrayed”
Posted on 09/18/26 at 08:32
Republican María Elvira Salazar challenges Trump with a campaign ad directly criticizing the president, saying that some immigration enforcement operations «have gone too far».
- Why it matters: Salazar says Hispanics who supported Trump in 2024 now feel «betrayed», as she seeks re-election in a predominantly Latino district.
María Elvira Salazar Challenges Trump Directly
«Mr. President, some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far», Salazar says, looking directly at the camera.
NEW: Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) just rolled out a straight to camera ad breaking with Trump.
«Mr. President, some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far….The same Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed today» pic.twitter.com/uxPeLaittt
— Shane Goldmacher (@ShaneGoldmacher) September 17, 2026
The Florida congresswoman adds a political warning: «The same Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed today».
The statement stands out because it appears in a campaign ad and comes after Trump endorsed Salazar’s candidacy this year.
- The difference: Salazar had already questioned aspects of Trump’s immigration strategy, but now she is bringing that disagreement directly into her re-election campaign.
ICE Arrests Fuel María Elvira Salazar’s Criticism of Trump
Salazar also questions why immigration operations are targeting people with no convictions or pending criminal charges.
ICE made 49,571 arrests in July, according to government data obtained by the Deportation Data Project and reported by The Washington Post.
More than half of those arrested had no convictions or pending criminal charges. Less than a quarter had a felony conviction.
- The fact: Salazar uses those figures to argue that immigration enforcement should focus primarily on people considered dangerous.
🚨 🇺🇸 | María Elvira Salazar questioned Trump’s immigration raids and warned that they «have gone too far».
The Republican noted that 50% of the nearly 50,000 people detained in July had no criminal record. pic.twitter.com/S8YP51w5t4
— Informe Orwell (@InformeOrwell) September 17, 2026
A Political Message From a Predominantly Latino District
The moment also coincides with María Elvira Salazar’s campaign to retain her seat in Florida’s 27th District, where the population is approximately 74% Latino.
The Republican will face Democrat Eliott Rodriguez in the November 3 election.
Salazar is also pushing immigration reforms that would allow certain immigrants to obtain legal status. She insists that her proposal does not constitute amnesty.
Her ad does not amount to a complete break with Trump. However, it turns their differences over immigration into a public message directed straight at the president.
- What’s next: A response from Trump or the White House could further intensify a dispute that has already moved from the immigration debate into the election campaign.