Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) stated in an interview that aired on September 20, 2026, that she believes immigration enforcement efforts have "gone too far." Salazar, a former journalist, said she spoke with the president to advise him that his current policies could alienate Hispanic voters who supported him in the 2024 election.
The congresswoman's comments followed the release of an advertisement in which she stated that half of the 50,000 people detained in July had no criminal record. Salazar introduced the Dignity Act as a proposal for immigration reform. She characterized the immigration situation as a "mess that has been happening for 40 years" and expressed concern that some of the president's advisers are "compromising his legacy" by not presenting a complete picture of the situation.
During the interview, Salazar also addressed an upcoming meeting in New York between the president and Venezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodríguez. While Salazar had previously identified Rodríguez as being in charge of secret police under the Maduro administration, she described the meeting as a "necessary evil" intended to stabilize the region. Salazar stated that the administration's actions had forced "bad actors" to create a platform for future leadership changes in Venezuela.
The scale of the detention efforts—where 25,000 of the 50,000 people held in July reportedly lacked criminal records—indicates a shift in administrative focus that Salazar argues risks losing the political support of a demographic that was central to the previous electoral victory.
What happens next involves the meeting between the U.S. president and the Venezuelan vice president in New York, a move Salazar described as a step toward future international observation of Venezuelan elections. The administration has not reported a specific date for new elections or a change in detention protocols. Salazar indicated she will continue to advocate for her Dignity Act legislation to address long-term reform.