GOP Rep. Maria Salazar attacks Trump's immigration policy in campaign ad
Republican Rep. Maria Salazar is running a campaign ad attacking Trump's immigration crackdown, a sign the issue has flipped from a Republican strength into a political problem ahead of the midterms.
- Polls now show voters trust Democrats more than Republicans on immigration, a big reversal from early 2025 when Trump held a strong lead on the issue.
- Over half of Americans and a quarter of Trump's own voters say he has gone too far on immigration.
- A government watchdog report found detainees at Florida's "Alligator Alcatraz" held in tiny metal cages, with dirty water, few showers, and little time outside.
- Deaths in ICE detention hit a two-decade high last year, and most people arrested in July had no criminal record.
- Salazar's ad matters because a Republican in a safe, heavily Latino district is spending her own campaign money to hit her own president, which suggests her polling looks bad.
Outlook: With Latino voters pulling away and anger over gas prices and the Iran war, Republicans face a growing risk of a major midterm defeat.