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By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
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A Florida Republican has broken from the ranks to slam President Donald Trump's mass deportation plans as "inhumane."
State Senator Ileana Garcia, a co-founder of the pro-Trump group Latinas for Trump, took to social media to voice her opposition, directly criticizing both the policy and Stephen Miller, the architect behind the Trump administration's hardline immigration measures.
"This is not what we voted for," Garcia wrote in a post on X."I have always supported Trump, through thick and thin. However, this is unacceptable and inhumane."
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Why It Matters
The remarks come as the president's immigration agenda sows fear into immigrant communities in South Florida. Hundreds of thousands of Cuban and Venezuelan immigrants have been impacted by the administration's decision to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS). These communities largely backed Trump in the November election, contributing to his victory in Miami-Dade County.
President Donald Trump vowed that his administration would remove millions of individuals living in the U.S. without legal status. The White House has said it will go after the "worst of the worst" and said anyone living in the country illegally is a "criminal."
His hard-line agenda has saw ramped up raids, halted asylum processing for undocumented migrants, and expanded the authority of ICE to detain those in the country unlawfully.
What To Know
Garcia said: "I understand the importance of deporting criminal aliens, but what we are witnessing are arbitrary measures to hunt down people who are complying with their immigration hearings—in many cases, with credible fear of persecution claims—all driven by a Miller-like desire to satisfy a self-fabricated deportation goal."
Garcia has been a stringer Trump supporter since he launched his political career in 2016. She founded Latinas for Trump to rally support among Hispanic women. The Republican also served as a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security during Trump's first tenure in the White House.
It comes after White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller said that the administration is looking to hit 3,000 ICE arrests per day.
Meanwhile, Republican Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar also appeared to shift her stance amid Trump's crackdown. She expressed unease with the policy, saying the "uncertainty" in her community has left her "heartbroken."
"Any illegal alien who is deported from the United States receives due process, and if they have pending asylum claims, they are adjudicated by USCIS prior to any removal," White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Newsweek.
What People Are Saying
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Newsweek: "President Trump was the first Republican Presidential candidate in nearly 40 years to win Miami-Dade county, and polling ahead of the election showed massive support among Hispanic voters for deportations. President Trump is fulfilling his promise to deport illegal aliens and the American people are grateful."
State Senator Ileana Garcia wrote in a post on X: "This undermines the sense of fairness and justice that the American people value."
**Rep. María Elvira Salazar said in a statement on X: "**I am fully aware, and heartbroken, about the uncertainty now gripping Florida's 27th District because of the recent immigration actions of the administration."
What Happens Next
Miami Republicans in Washington, D.C., are set to meet with Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.
For now, Garcia's public break with Trump highlights a growing tension within the GOP—between hardline immigration enforcement and the political realities of a state where immigrant voters play a crucial role.
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