Union rally targets Salazar in Miami

A local labor union gathered Cuban and Venezuelan residents in Little Havana on Thursday to urge them to vote against U.S. Representative Maria Elvira Salazar. The event occurred days before the November 3 midterm elections. Organizers accused the Republican congresswoman of abandoning her immigrant and working-class constituents in Florida's 27th congressional district.

The district includes Miami, Coral Gables, Palmetto Bay, and Cutler Bay. Nearly three in four residents identify as Latino. Salazar faces Eliott Rodriguez, a Democrat and former CBS Miami anchor. The race has attracted national media attention. The non-partisan Cook Political Report labels the contest competitive. It had previously been viewed as a safe Republican seat.

Speakers at the rally, organized by UNITE HERE Local 355, criticized Salazar's legislative record. They pointed to her votes on federal spending, social safety net programs, and immigration enforcement. Organizers cited the soaring cost of living in Miami, which has become one of the least affordable metropolitan areas in the nation. They specifically mentioned Salazar's support for historic cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP.

SNAP serves 17 percent of households in Salazar's district. Organizers also highlighted her vote to appropriate $75 billion in funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. Last year, Salazar voted with the majority of the Republican-led Congress to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. That legislation extended tax cuts from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and added new tax breaks.

The bill increased funding for ICE ten times over. It made ICE the most funded federal law agency in the country. It received more money than many foreign militaries. The legislation also included major cuts to Medicaid, the state and federal health care program for low-income people, and SNAP. Organizers said these votes contradicted Salazar's image as a compassionate advocate for immigrant communities.

Martha Cabrera, a longtime resident of the district, said she changed her voter registration from Republican to Non-Party Affiliated. She said she felt deceived by Salazar's promises. Cabrera said she has lived in District 27 for 17 years. She stated, 'I feel betrayed and disappointed by Maria Elvira Salazar. She promised to help our immigrant community, but it’s all been lies.'

Cabrera criticized Salazar's support for giving $75 billion to ICE to deport people. She also cited cuts to benefits for the elderly. Ana Sofia Pelaez, Executive Director of Miami Freedom Project, said Salazar's legislative record enabled immigration policies she recently disavowed. Pelaez noted that recent media reports detailed harsh conditions in South Florida detention facilities. Those reports also described policies that transported undocumented Cuban migrants to third countries, including Africa, without due process.

Maikol Rodriguez, a Venezuelan worker and union member, said immigrants should not live in fear of the government. He said he left Venezuela due to a dictatorship and injustice. He stated, 'Every immigrant who comes here to this beautiful country comes to fight for a better life. Latinos help make this country, and we deserve respect.' He added that it is not fair for people to live in fear in a free country.

UNITE HERE Local 355 leaders said they have knocked on more than 40,000 doors. They targeted Cuban and Venezuelan households to mobilize voters. Their campaign message is 'Adios, Salazar.' Last month, Salazar criticized President Donald Trump's immigration policies in a campaign ad. She said 50 percent of the 50,000 people detained in July had no criminal record. She told Trump that Hispanics who helped him win the 2024 election feel betrayed today. She said they need a dignified life, not amnesty.

Salazar recorded the ad in front of the White House. She told Trump to be careful about what his advisers say regarding immigration. She emphasized that she is not advocating for amnesty but for a dignified life for immigrants in the United States. The rally concluded with a focus on the upcoming vote in the 27th district.