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By Steve Mollman
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Representative Carlos Gimenez said that the Trump administration has been too slow to change how it conducts immigration enforcement operations—and it could hurt Republicans in elections.
“We've been warning the administration about the enforcement that's been going on,” the Florida Republican said on Fox Business's Mornings With Maria on Monday. “We thought that there should have been a course correction a long time ago, and now I guess it's going to be forced on us by the Democrats.”
Why It Matters
Republicans control Congress but hold a slim majority in both the House and the Senate. With anger growing over the way Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol agents have treated immigrants and American citizens—particularly in the fatal shootings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti during protests in Minneapolis last month—voters could favor Democrats in the midterms later this year, shifting the balance of power in Washington.
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What To Know
Republicans have already suffered losses in special elections around the country, including in Texas over the weekend, where a Democrat easily won a state Senate seat in an area that President Donald Trump won by 17 points in 2024. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned that the Texas loss showed that “Republicans should be clear-eyed about the political environment heading into the midterms.”
Other Republican leaders reacted to the Texas election in a similar fashion.
Gimenez said his party is already paying a political price.
“We should have been focusing on criminals and gang members and people with active deportation orders,” he said. “I don't think we should have been focusing on people that have been here for a long time, grandmothers, etc., that happen to be in a neighborhood when you're doing an enforcement action. I think that that was a mistake, and I think it's coming back to haunt us right now.”
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Last week, the Florida lawmaker warned that immigration tactics were “hurting our chances at the midterms.” Appearing on Newsmax, he added that “the most important thing we have to do is actually keep the majority, because if not, we’re going to go back to the policies of President Biden and open borders.”
In another sign of faltering support for ICE operations within the party, Chris Madel, a GOP candidate for Minnesota governor, withdrew from the race, stating, "Operation Metro Surge has expanded far beyond its stated focus on true public safety threats…national Republicans have made it nearly impossible for a Republican to win a statewide election in Minnesota.”
What People Are Saying
Republican strategist Vianca Rodriguez told CBS News: "What's been happening in Minneapolis has been chaotic and a tragedy…That chaos has been worsened by a lack of cooperation from state and local officials acting at the direction of Democrat Governor Tim Walz. Democrats now trying to use this crisis for political gain and propaganda is deeply irresponsible and disgusting."
Representative Dan Newhouse, a Washington Republican, told Politico: “If we don’t change our approach, it will have a negative effect on the midterms, for sure.”
John Feehery, a Republican strategist, told Reuters of Trump’s immigration approach: "This was one of the president's number one advantages and it has become a political liability for him. The base is still pretty comfortable with what Trump is doing. But it's not just about the base, it's about swing voters."
What Happens Next
How the appointment of border czar Tom Homan to oversee ICE operations in Minnesota affects the tense situation in the Twin Cities will be closely watched.
“We’re going to have a mass deportation,” he told Fox on Friday, “but we’re going to prioritize the arrest of criminals and public safety threats.”
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