Republican lawmakers of Latino descent who back President Donald Trump find themselves navigating a delicate balance between endorsing his immigration policies and reassuring their immigrant constituents that they won’t be adversely affected by these measures.
The leaders of the GOP-affiliated Congressional Hispanic Conference promoted Trump’s election campaign by emphasizing his border security initiatives and the expulsion of violent offenders.
This week, Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, was appointed as the conference’s chairman and expressed support for Trump’s immigration strategy, stating, “we must bring an end to the lawlessness.” He has also advocated for the mass deportation of “convicted criminal aliens,” while asserting that “your ‘abuelita'” should not be targeted.
Throughout their leadership roles, all CHC members have echoed sentiments similar to those of Gonzales.
Trump’s commitment included plans to deport undocumented immigrants with criminal backgrounds, promising to execute “the largest deportation program in American history.” Officials from his administration have indicated that no undocumented individual is exempt from scrutiny.
Republican strategist Mike Madrid, who is critical of Trump, noted that it was a “false illusion” to expect that immigrants without criminal records would receive any protection. “It is absurd,” he remarked.
The Trump administration has terminated several legal immigration programs that had previously allowed recent migrants and immigrants to temporarily remain in the U.S. while they seek asylum or adjust their status—leading Latino Republican lawmakers to recognize the risks their constituents face.
In Florida, navigating the support for Trump and immigrant residents
Arguably, the Latino representatives from South Florida are treading the most precarious path in balancing their support for Trump while defending their immigrant communities.
In one of his initial actions, Trump eliminated a program established during Biden’s presidency that provided parole for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans. He also initiated a new policy that expands the “enforcement discretion” of immigration officials, enabling them to bypass standard immigration laws and accelerate deportations.
In response to these changes, Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security, urging that her constituents affected by the changes be guaranteed due process and protection from deportation until their cases are adjudicated.
Salazar emphasized that those who came through the parole program “have no criminal record and have followed the correct legal avenues to apply for asylum.” She asserted, “They should have the opportunity to pursue their applications to rectify their legal status.”
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On January 28, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem ended Temporary Protected Status for approximately 600,000 Venezuelans. TPS is designated for immigrants in the U.S. unable to return to their home nations due to natural disasters or political turmoil, and applicants must pass criminal background checks.
Noem argued that conditions in Venezuela had improved sufficiently to conclude the program, asserting that TPS had been used to allow individuals without other immigration pathways to reside in the U.S.
In South Florida, where Trump made significant electoral gains and is now viewed as a Republican bastion, many Venezuelans feel “deeply betrayed” by the termination of TPS. Florida hosts the largest population of Venezuelan immigrants in the country.
Following the announcement of TPS terminations, Salazar and her Florida Republican colleagues, Reps. Mario Díaz-Balart and Carlos Gimenez, issued a joint statement that affirmed their support for President Trump, noting, “President Trump has demonstrated unwavering solidarity with the Venezuelan people” and pointed out that “certain individuals, including members of the Tren de Aragua, have exploited our hospitality and flouted our laws, maintaining ties to both the Maduro regime and organized crime.”
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However, Gimenez and Díaz-Balart subsequently wrote to Noem regarding the “urgent situation,” urging her to make a “decision that offers individual solutions” to safeguard law-abiding Venezuelans poised to lose their TPS while noting that the socio-political situation in Venezuela has not improved significantly.
Madrid stated, “The Republican legislators have to show some concern towards their constituents by sending a letter—but they aren’t outright opposing the policy. They are merely voicing concerns in a letter, which in Washington translates to a wink and a nod.”
Gimenez and Díaz-Balart did not respond to requests for comments at this time.
Daniel Jativa, a spokesperson for Salazar’s office, stated in an email to NBC News that the congresswoman has yet to receive a response to her letter sent to DHS.
Jativa further noted that Salazar’s advocacy for a “strong and secure border aligns closely with the President’s strategies,” highlighting her support for Trump’s initiatives, such as the implementation of the federal e-Verify system (which determines employee eligibility), constructing “physical barriers” at the southern border, and enhancing “border technology” to combat crime.
In terms of asylum and creating a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants currently residing in the country, Salazar has introduced legislative measures and conveyed to Trump the importance of preserving protections for Cuban migrants awaiting legal status adjustments and extending TPS for Venezuelans, Jativa added.
Navigating conflicting messages
Writing for The New Yorker in November, historian Geraldo Cadava from Northwestern University and the author of “The Hispanic Republican: The Shaping of an American Political Identity, From Nixon to Trump,” criticized the many contradictory positions of the GOP regarding immigrants, noting that they can often seem at odds with one another.
Cadava described immigrants as being perceived as “both criminals and non-criminals; as a dangerous threat to American families and workers, while also recognized for their significant contributions to the nation.”
Yet, it isn’t just Latino Republicans who face this balancing act; Democrats are in a similar position.
The Laken Riley Act, the first bill Trump enacted in his second term, permits the arrest and detention of individuals unlawfully present in the U.S. who are charged with crimes such as burglary, theft, and shoplifting, as well as felony charges that result in death or serious bodily injury. The legislation does not necessitate a conviction.
The House passed the bill with a 263-156 vote, with 46 Democrats joining Republicans in support, while the Senate approved it with a 64-35 vote, with a dozen Democrats breaking party lines to endorse it.
Surveys indicate that public opinion in the U.S.—including among Latinos—has shifted towards greater support for enhanced enforcement and deportations. However, Latinos generally favor mechanisms for legalizing undocumented immigrants without criminal backgrounds.
Madrid remarked, “No one is going to win this immigration debate, but someone is bound to lose.” He added that if Republicans overreach, they could face significant losses, suggesting that as long as the Trump administration refrains from reinstating the large-scale workplace raids and family separations that characterized his initial term, Republicans may sustain some of the Latino support they gained for the 2024 elections.
The 2018 midterms witnessed the highest Latino turnout ever, marking the most significant anti-Trump sentiment among Latino voters, as noted by Madrid. “This was a direct outcome of the ICE raids and strict enforcement actions that occurred in 2017” during Trump’s first administration.
