Rep. Salazar warns that blanket immigration enforcement harms law-abiding Venezuelan residents

In a recent appearance, Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar warned President Donald Trump that immigration enforcement in South Florida is sweeping up many individuals without criminal records, citing a July tally of about 50,000 detainees, half of whom have no convictions. She highlighted the impact on Venezuelan communities in places like Doral, where businesses are suffering and families fear detention. The piece argues that Washington’s narrative of a post-Maduro Venezuela is premature, noting that key figures such as Delcy Rodriguez and Diosdado Cabello remain in power and the security-repression network is largely intact.

Although oil production has rebounded and some prisoners have been freed, essential services like health care and education remain crippled, especially after recent earthquakes. Salazar contends that a case-by-case approach, rather than blanket removals, is needed to avoid alienating Hispanic voters who backed stricter borders but do not support indiscriminate deportations.