Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar criticized the Trump administration's temporary suspension of immigration applications from nationals of 19 countries, calling the policy "un-American."
The Department of Homeland Security last week ordered U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to pause all processing for applicants from Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela and 16 other countries deemed as "high risk" following the arrest of an Afghan man accused of fatally shooting two National Guardsmen in Washington, D.C. The directive halts green card approvals, naturalization ceremonies and pending asylum cases.
Salazar said the actions amounted to "collective punishment," harming people who have complied with U.S. immigration law, as The Miami Herald reports. "Freezing asylum, green card, and citizenship processes is not the answer," she said. "It punishes hardworking, law-abiding immigrants who followed every step of the legal process. That is unfair, un-American, and it goes against everything this country stands for."
She also warned that thousands of South Florida residents would see life-changing milestones abruptly suspended. "Background checks already exist to stop terrorists and they should," she added.
Her comments stood in contrast with those from fellow Miami Republicans Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart and Rep. Carlos Gimenez, who framed the pause as necessary for national security. In a joint statement, they blamed the situation on "the Biden Administration's grotesquely irresponsible open-border policies," saying the Trump approach is about "restoring order" and "strengthening vetting."
The policy has heightened anxiety in South Florida communities with long-standing immigration ties. Attorneys told the Herald their clients — including Cuban, Venezuelan and Haitian applicants — have seen scheduled citizenship ceremonies abruptly canceled and now face renewed legal uncertainty.
Salazar's criticism comes amid broader warnings she has issued about Republican support among Latino voters. After GOP setbacks in recent state elections, Salazar posted that Latino backing was "slipping away," saying Republicans must focus on "Faith. Family. Freedom. DIGNITY."
She has argued Latinos support secure borders and crime enforcement but also want "dignity" for long-time undocumented residents without criminal records. She reintroduced the bipartisan Dignity Act this year, which would allow certain undocumented immigrants a pathway to legal status.
"Republicans must wake up," she said earlier this month. "Latinos helped deliver a tremendous victory — and they expect solutions."
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