Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar is drawing attention with a new campaign ad in which she directly challenges President Donald Trump on immigration, an issue central to both her political career and the administration’s agenda.
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In the ad, the South Florida Republican argues some immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far, particularly when it comes to immigrants with no criminal record.
“Mr. President, some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far,” Salazar says in the ad.
A Message to President Trump on Immigration | María Elvira Salazar pic.twitter.com/memcf4jags
— María Elvira Salazar 🇺🇸 (@MaElviraSalazar) September 17, 2026
Salazar points to ICE detention figures and warns that some Hispanic voters who supported Trump in 2024 feel alienated by the president’s immigration policies.
“Be careful about what your advisors are telling you about immigration policies. The same Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed,” Salazar says.
Rodriguez: Ad comes too late
Salazar’s Democratic challenger, Eliott Rodriguez, dismissed the ad, arguing the congresswoman shares responsibility for the immigration policies she is now criticizing.
“She just found out about this? She voted for this. This is the result of what she’s done in Congress,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez also believes the ad signals growing concern among Republicans about Florida’s 27th Congressional District, which Democrats hope to make competitive in the upcoming election.
“My district is definitely in play, and this is proof that she believes it,” Rodriguez said.
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Analyst: Immigration is a political vulnerability
NBC6 political analyst Alex Penelas says immigration has become one of Salazar’s biggest political challenges, particularly among South Florida’s large Cuban, Venezuelan and immigrant communities.
“The Congresswoman knows that this immigration issue really is her Achilles tendon with a district where there are many Venezuelans, Cubans and others who have been her loyal supporters but now feel betrayed by the president’s immigration policy,” Penelas said.
However, Penelas notes Salazar’s criticism of Trump’s approach is not new.
In 2022, Salazar introduced the bipartisan Dignity Act, a proposal that combines tougher border security measures with a pathway to legal status for some longtime undocumented immigrants without criminal records.
Speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Salazar defended the legislation.
“It’s the only bill that covers immigration reform in the House of Representatives and in the Senate,” she said.
What’s at stake
Penelas argues the debate extends beyond immigration policy and speaks to the broader political importance of Florida’s 27th District.
He believes Republicans view the seat as critical to maintaining their majority in the U.S. House, which may help explain why Trump has tolerated some of Salazar’s public criticism.
“The president knows this. So I think that’s why he’s willing to allow her to perhaps criticize him in this fashion, because there’s a bigger picture here and the bigger picture is keeping control of the House,” Penelas said.
NBC6 reached out to Salazar’s office for additional comment on the campaign ad but had not received a response at the time of publication.
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