Maria Elvira Salazar

María Elvira Salazar
Born	María Elvira Salazar
Birthplace	Miami, Florida, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Template:Hlist
Title	Member of the United States House of Representatives
Known for	U.S. Representative for Florida's 27th congressional district

María Elvira Salazar is an American politician and former broadcast journalist serving as the U.S. Representative for Florida's 27th congressional district, which encompasses much of southern Miami-Dade County, including portions of the city of Miami. A member of the Republican Party, Salazar first won election to Congress in 2020 and has since established herself as a prominent voice on issues related to immigration policy, Cuba–United States relations, and Latin America. Her district is one of the most heavily Hispanic congressional districts in the United States, and Salazar, a Cuban American, has drawn national attention for her willingness to break with elements of her own party on immigration enforcement while maintaining a firmly anti-communist posture toward authoritarian regimes in the Western Hemisphere. Before entering politics, she spent decades as a Spanish-language television journalist, a career that made her a well-known figure in South Florida's media landscape and among Spanish-speaking audiences across the Americas.

Early Life

María Elvira Salazar was born in Miami, Florida, to parents of Cuban origin. Her family background is rooted in the Cuban exile community that settled in South Florida following the Cuban Revolution of 1959. Growing up in Miami, Salazar was raised in a bilingual, bicultural environment shaped by the experiences of the Cuban diaspora. The anti-communist political ethos prevalent in Miami's Cuban-American community would become a defining influence on her worldview, both in her journalism career and later in her political life.

Details regarding her childhood, siblings, and specific family circumstances beyond her Cuban heritage remain limited in publicly available sourced material.

Career

Journalism

Before entering politics, María Elvira Salazar built an extensive career in broadcast journalism, primarily in Spanish-language media. She worked for several major Spanish-language television networks, becoming a recognizable figure to audiences in the United States and across Latin America. Her journalism career spanned multiple decades and included work as an interviewer, correspondent, and anchor. During her time in media, she covered topics related to Latin American politics, U.S.–Latin American relations, and issues affecting Hispanic communities in the United States. Her media prominence, particularly in the Miami market, gave her significant name recognition that would later prove instrumental in her transition to electoral politics.

Entry into Politics

Salazar transitioned from journalism to politics, running for Congress to represent Florida's 27th congressional district. The district, which covers a significant portion of Miami-Dade County, has a large Hispanic population, with Cuban Americans constituting a substantial share of the electorate. Salazar first ran for the seat and, after an initial unsuccessful attempt, won election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2020. She has been reelected in subsequent cycles, representing the district in the 117th, 118th, and 119th Congresses.

Congressional Tenure

Immigration Policy

Immigration has been one of the most defining issues of Salazar's congressional career. Representing a district with a large immigrant population, Salazar has positioned herself as a Republican willing to advocate for comprehensive immigration reform while also supporting border security measures. She has been a vocal proponent of finding legislative solutions that address the status of undocumented immigrants living in the United States, particularly those who have been long-term residents and contributors to their communities.

In a February 2026 interview with The Wall Street Journal, Salazar was described as "the Cuban-American Republican pushing back on Trump's deportations." In the interview, she stated that the Republican Party was "losing on immigration" but expressed the view that President Donald Trump still had time to "adjust course ahead of the midterms."

Her immigration stance gained further national attention in late February 2026 when she appeared on CNN, warning that Trump was "at risk of shedding more support among Latinos." In the interview with anchor Erin Burnett, Salazar used the phrase "we cannot conflate the gangster with the gardener," drawing a distinction between undocumented immigrants who have committed serious crimes and those who are productive members of their communities, such as agricultural and service workers. This framing encapsulated Salazar's broader argument that indiscriminate immigration enforcement risked alienating Latino voters whose support the Republican Party had been gaining in recent election cycles.

Despite her criticisms of certain immigration enforcement policies, Salazar has maintained that she retains the support of President Trump, positioning her stance not as opposition to the president but as constructive counsel aimed at strengthening the Republican Party's appeal among Hispanic voters.

Cuba and Human Rights

Salazar has been one of Congress's most vocal advocates regarding human rights in Cuba and has consistently called for the United States to maintain a firm posture against the Cuban government. Her positions on Cuba have been shaped by her family's exile experience and her journalism career, during which she covered Cuban political affairs extensively.

In December 2025, Salazar made headlines by breaking ranks with some of her fellow Cuban-American Republican lawmakers in Miami regarding the Trump administration's approach to Cuba. According to El País, Salazar criticized certain aspects of the administration's Cuba policy, marking a notable departure from the more lockstep approach that Miami's Cuban-American Republican delegation had traditionally taken. This willingness to dissent from her party on Cuba policy, even while maintaining her overall anti-communist stance, underscored Salazar's independent positioning within the Republican caucus.

In February 2026, Salazar announced that she would host Rosa María Payá, a Cuban human rights leader, as her guest at the 2026 State of the Union Address. Payá is the daughter of Oswaldo Payá, a prominent Cuban dissident who died under disputed circumstances in 2012, and has become a leading international advocate for democracy and human rights in Cuba. In a press release from her congressional office, Salazar stated the invitation was intended to draw attention to the continued repression of political dissent in Cuba.

WLRN, South Florida's public media outlet, reported that Salazar described Payá as "a renowned Cuban human rights leader" and said the invitation was consistent with her longstanding advocacy for democratic movements in Cuba and across Latin America. The move was also covered by financial news outlet Quiver Quantitative, which noted the symbolic significance of the gesture in the context of ongoing U.S.–Cuba relations.

Federal Appropriations and District Representation

Salazar has worked to secure federal funding for projects within Florida's 27th congressional district. In February 2026, her office announced that she had secured $25.6 million in federal funding for the district in the fiscal year 2026 appropriations process. The announcement highlighted a range of community projects and infrastructure investments directed toward the Miami-area communities she represents.

Technology and Economic Development

Salazar has also been involved in promoting economic development in her district. In February 2026, she was among the first political leaders to publicly welcome the announcement that Palantir Technologies, a major data analytics and technology company, would be relocating operations to Miami. According to Florida Politics, Salazar cheered the relocation as a positive development for the local economy. However, the move drew criticism from immigration advocates who noted that Palantir has significant contracts with U.S. immigration enforcement agencies, including ICE, creating what some observers viewed as a tension with Salazar's pro-immigrant rhetoric. Democrats and immigration advocacy groups pointed to the apparent contradiction of a lawmaker who advocates for immigrant communities while simultaneously celebrating the arrival of a firm closely associated with deportation operations.

Political Positions

Immigration

Salazar's immigration positions have been among the most closely watched of any Republican member of Congress. She has advocated for a legislative pathway that addresses the status of long-term undocumented residents while also supporting border security. She has argued that the Republican Party risks losing ground among Latino voters if it pursues immigration enforcement policies that do not distinguish between violent criminals and otherwise law-abiding undocumented workers. Her formulation — "we cannot conflate the gangster with the gardener" — has become one of the more frequently cited statements by a Republican lawmaker on immigration in the 119th Congress.

Her position on immigration has placed her in occasional tension with the Trump administration's enforcement-first approach. In her Wall Street Journal interview, Salazar framed her critique not as opposition to the president but as strategic advice, arguing that the GOP needed to calibrate its messaging and enforcement priorities to maintain and expand its share of the Latino vote heading into the 2026 midterm elections.

Cuba and Latin American Policy

On Cuba, Salazar has maintained a firmly anti-communist position, consistent with the views of much of Miami's Cuban-American community. She has supported the continuation of U.S. economic sanctions on the Cuban government and has used her platform to call attention to political repression on the island. However, as demonstrated by her December 2025 break from her Cuban-American Republican colleagues, she has shown a willingness to criticize specific policy approaches even when they originate from within her own party or from a Republican administration.

Her invitation of Rosa María Payá to the 2026 State of the Union was consistent with her broader legislative and rhetorical emphasis on supporting democratic movements and political dissidents in Cuba and other authoritarian states in Latin America.

Recognition

Salazar's profile in national politics has grown considerably during her congressional tenure, particularly due to her high-profile stances on immigration. Major national outlets including The Wall Street Journal, CNN, and El País have featured her in substantive profiles and interviews, treating her as a leading Republican voice on immigration and Latino political engagement.

Her media background has made her an effective communicator in both English and Spanish-language media, and she is frequently sought out for commentary on issues affecting Hispanic communities in the United States. Her congressional office has publicized her success in securing federal appropriations for her district, including the $25.6 million secured for fiscal year 2026, as evidence of her effectiveness as a legislator.