A Republican representative from Florida is calling for President Donald Trump to reconsider his aggressive approach to deportations, fearing it could alienate key supporters of the GOP.
In light of Trump’s recent mass deportation efforts, which began immediately after his return to power, Representative Maria Elvira Salazar has raised concerns about the potential impact on newly-loyal Latino voters in the Republican Party.
Trump’s Crackdown on Deportations Faces Pushback from GOP Members
In his first week back in office, Trump launched one of the largest deportation initiatives in U.S. history, arresting over 2,000 people as part of a broader crackdown.
However, Salazar, who represents a heavily Hispanic district in Miami-Dade County, believes that these policies might hurt the GOP, especially given that many of the migrants affected entered the country under President Biden’s “humanitarian parole” program.
Salazar Warns Deportation Could Alienate Latino Voters in Key Districts
Salazar’s district, with over two-thirds of its voters identifying as Hispanic, has seen a shift in political allegiance, with many in the community casting their votes for Trump in the 2024 election.
As someone who has long been an ally of the former president, Salazar is particularly concerned about how Trump’s harsh immigration stance could turn Latino voters away from the party.
A recent poll by the New York Times found that 87 percent of Americans oppose deporting immigrants who are in the country legally, while 62 percent oppose separating families.
The Biden Administration’s Parole Program Under Scrutiny
The controversial “CHNV” program, which allows nationals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to temporarily stay in the U.S. due to instability in their home countries, has become a key focal point of the debate.
Salazar, in her letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has urged the government to protect migrants who came to the U.S. under this program, particularly those who have no criminal records and have applied for asylum.
Salazar’s Plea for Compassion Towards Migrants Caught in the Crossfire
Salazar is calling on the administration to allow these migrants to remain in the country until their asylum cases are fully resolved.
She argued that penalizing them for “Joe Biden’s screw-ups” would be unjust, as many of these individuals were enrolled in the program with the expectation of having their cases processed.
Trump Administration Responds to Calls for Deportation
Despite Salazar’s plea, a DHS spokesperson defended the decision to enforce deportations, asserting that the Biden administration had misused the parole program, allowing millions of migrants to enter the country without proper oversight.
The spokesperson emphasized that under Trump’s administration, the program would return to a more stringent, case-by-case approach.
Ice Raids Target Migrants in Sanctuary Cities
On Friday, ICE officials arrested 445 individuals with criminal backgrounds, along with an additional 148 migrants without criminal records.
These arrests are part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to target sanctuary cities and remove individuals who, under Biden’s immigration policies, were often difficult to track and deport.
As deportation efforts ramp up, Salazar and other Republicans are left grappling with how to balance party policies on immigration with the growing demands of their constituents.
Salazar’s call for a more measured approach to the issue reflects the ongoing struggle within the GOP to navigate the complex and divisive topic of immigration reform.
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