María Elvira Salazar Advocates for Migrant Workers in the U.S.: "Deportation is Not an Option"

Republican Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar has once again thrust herself into the heart of the U.S. immigration debate by declaring that migrant workers "cannot be deported" due to their critical role in the nation's economic framework. During an interview with journalist Jorge Sánchez Grass on Radio Mambí, the representative for Florida's 27th District passionately defended the millions of undocumented immigrants who have been living and working in the United States for over a decade.

"These invisible workers who keep the U.S. running cannot be deported," she asserted, highlighting those employed in sectors such as construction, agriculture, and hospitality. Salazar acknowledged the backlash from conservative factions within her own party. "Many in my district, particularly the right-wing Republicans, criticize me for supposedly supporting illegal immigrants. But the reality is that there are between 10 to 15 million people in America forming an invisible workforce, without criminal records, who did not come under Biden, and they are essential for keeping the economy afloat," she declared.

She warned that a massive deportation of these immigrants would be catastrophic for the country’s economy, a process that could take up to 20 years. "These individuals are indispensable, and deporting them would lead to economic collapse. We need all kinds of labor to ensure the American economy remains the world's number one," she stressed.

Legislative Initiatives and Bipartisan Efforts

Recently, Salazar introduced a legislative proposal known as the "Dignity Act," which she believes stands as a bipartisan alternative to the extreme solutions prevalent in the current discourse. "We've been told there are only two options: amnesty or mass deportations. I propose a third: order, law, and dignity," she wrote on her X account, affirming that "the solution exists."

The congresswoman announced plans to formally present the bill before the end of the month, in collaboration with Democrat Veronica Escobar (TX-16), as part of a bipartisan push to reform the immigration system. The proposal aims to provide a pathway to legalization for immigrants without criminal histories who have lived and worked in the U.S. for at least five years. She referred to them as "the silent heroes who are doing the jobs no one else wants to do."

Salazar has also reiterated her commitment to the Cuban migrant community. In March, she specifically urged the Trump administration to protect Cubans with I-220A, as well as Nicaraguans, Venezuelans, and Haitians with Temporary Protected Status (TPS). "These Cubans have come seeking freedom and should not be sent back to the oppressive dictatorship," she stated at the time.