After publicly criticizing Trump, Rep. María Elvira Salazar faces bac…

Rep. María Elvira Salazar Releases Video Addressing Trump Immigration Policies Amid District Campaign

MIAMI — Rep. María Elvira Salazar, a Republican representing Florida’s 27th Congressional District, released a campaign video last week filmed in front of the White House. In the video, Salazar states that some immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far and that advisers are providing the president with poor counsel on the issue. She links the policies to potential effects on Republican support among Latino voters who contributed to GOP gains in the 2024 election.

Salazar said in a statement that the video reflects her long-standing position on immigration. The district, which Trump carried by nearly 15 points in 2024, includes areas such as Key Biscayne, Coral Gables, Little Havana, and Coconut Grove. Census Bureau data from the 2024 American Community Survey show that nearly 75 percent of residents are Hispanic and more than half were born outside the United States. Many trace their backgrounds to Cuba, Venezuela, Haiti, and Nicaragua.

Voters in the district expressed differing views on the video. Hector Rubio, a Key Biscayne resident and Republican who supported Salazar in prior elections, said in Spanish that Trump is carrying out necessary enforcement and could expand it further. He advised Salazar to align closely with the president. Charles Parsons, another Key Biscayne resident who voted for Salazar previously, said he will not support her this cycle despite planning to back other Florida Republicans. Parsons stated that the timing of the video appeared driven by political considerations.

Political analyst Ana Navarro, a district resident and former Republican strategist, described the video as indicating nervousness on the Salazar campaign and noted that internal polling had shown the race within the margin of error. Eliott Rodriguez, the Democratic nominee and former CBS Miami anchor, said the video appeared to reflect concern within the Salazar campaign. Rodriguez, whose parents fled Cuba, questioned Salazar’s prior votes on funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and on tariffs.

Salazar’s campaign did not provide the congresswoman for an interview. In a statement, Salazar said Democratic campaigns routinely release polling analysis at this stage of the cycle and that voters have rejected such claims in past elections. The Rodriguez campaign reported raising approximately $120,000 in the week after the video’s release, double the prior week’s total. Federal Election Commission filings from July show Salazar holding roughly $2 million in cash on hand.

The district’s boundaries were redrawn for this cycle. Miami-Dade County voted for Democratic presidential candidates in every election from 1992 through 2020. The Cook Political Report rates the race as “likely Republican.” Trump stated on Friday that Salazar would not have won election without his endorsement. On Sunday, Salazar told CBS that she had spoken with Trump after the video and described the conversation as positive, with the president receptive to discussion of deportation strategy and broader immigration changes.

The Trump administration ended humanitarian parole programs and Temporary Protected Status for certain Venezuelan, Haitian, Cuban, and Nicaraguan nationals, affecting thousands of residents in South Florida who had held legal status. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in the area led to business closures and deportations, according to local accounts. The administration has reported 2.5 million deportations nationwide as of December 2025. Some residents in the district expressed support for the enforcement actions. Richard Santos, a South Miami resident, said voters backed Trump in part to increase removals of people present unlawfully. Julio Perez, also in South Miami, said Salazar’s video appeared motivated by a desire to retain her seat.

Rodriguez and Salazar are both children of Cuban refugees and former television journalists. Salazar worked approximately 35 years at Univision and Telemundo; Rodriguez spent 25 years at CBS Miami before retiring in December and launching his campaign three months later. The race remains in its final weeks, with both candidates known to the district’s Hispanic population.