NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
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.”
THE HISPANIC VOTE IS UP FOR GRABS IN 2026; CANDIDATES WHO IGNORE IT WILL LOSE
Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., is urging President Donald Trump to weigh in on immigration reform legislation known as the Dignity Act. (Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for Latino Wall Street; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
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.
VOTERS SAY REPUBLICANS OUTDO DEMOCRATS ON THESE KEY ISSUES: FOX NEWS POLL
Rep. María Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., arrives for a meeting of the House Republican Conference at the Capitol Hill Club June 10, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
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.
TRUMP ADMIN MARKS 15 STRAIGHT MONTHS WITH ZERO BORDER RELEASES AS APPREHENSIONS PLUNGE 94%
President Donald Trump speaks during a Purple Heart Day event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., Aug. 7, 2025 (Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The Salazar campaign did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Thursday.