Venezuelan American Candidate in Florida Calls Republican Congresswoman Salazar 'A Leader of Mass Deportation'

Hector Mujica, a Venezuelan American running for Florida's 28th Congressional District, criticized Rep. María Elvira Salazar this week over her claim that she is "one of the leaders on immigration," calling the characterization misleading and accusing her of supporting policies that harm immigrant communities.

In a post on X, the candidate shared a video of Salazar's remarks along with a caption that reads: "a leader of mass deportation of hardworking immigrants is what you are," directly responding to Salazar's remarks. He also criticized her broader comments on Venezuela policy, describing her explanation as "a word salad" and questioning the logic of engaging with figures he described as responsible for the country's crisis.

Salazar, a Republican representing South Florida, made the comments during a CBS News interview on Thursday in which she defended a U.S. policy approach that includes limited engagement with Venezuelan official Delcy Rodríguez as part of a broader effort to facilitate democratic elections.

"I'm one of the leaders on immigration," Salazar said, while also advocating for temporary protections for certain migrant groups, including Venezuelans, Haitians and Cubans.

In the same interview, Salazar said she supported allowing Venezuelans with Temporary Protected Status to remain in the United States until conditions in their home country improve. "Let them stay for a little while," she said, adding that they should not be forced to return while Venezuela lacks democratic governance and economic stability.

Mujica's criticism focused on what he described as a contradiction between those statements and broader immigration enforcement policies supported by Republican lawmakers. "Not long ago, Carlos Gimenez and María Elvira were celebrating the opening of Alligator Alcatraz, where many innocent people are currently kidnapped," Mujica added.

The exchange comes as Mujica formally entered the race for Congress in Florida on Thursday, shifting from a previous bid for the U.S. Senate. He has framed his campaign around economic concerns, including cost of living and housing affordability, while also highlighting immigration and foreign policy as key issues for voters in South Florida.

Polling released by Emerson College earlier in the week showed that the congressional race could be competitive, with incumbent Republican Ashley Moody holding a narrow lead and a significant share of voters still undecided.