She Founded Latinas for Trump. Now She Says ‘This Is Not What We Voted For’
Ileana García helped create Latinas for Trump. She backed him through scandals, impeachments, and two elections. But this weekend, as federal agents conducted sweeping immigration raids across courthouses and communities—including her own—she’s changing her tune.
“This is unacceptable and inhumane,” García said.
A Trump loyalist, now speaking out
On Saturday in Miami, García—now a Republican state senator in Florida—spoke publicly against the latest wave of deportations. She condemned the operations, which have targeted immigrants even during ongoing legal processes. García called them “a hunt against law-abiding individuals who fear returning to their countries.”
“These are arbitrary measures to hunt down people who are complying with their immigration hearings,” she added in a statement posted to X. She also called out Trump advisor Stephen Miller directly. “All driven by a Miller-like desire to satisfy a self-fabricated deportation goal.”
Latinas for Trump co-founder draws a line at mass raids
García’s statement reflects growing backlash in South Florida. Especially among Cuban and Venezuelan communities, many of whom supported Trump in 2020. According to USA Today, ICE agents have reportedly detained migrants in courthouses and public spaces. And in some cases, immigration judges have even dropped active cases, potentially fast-tracking deportations.
“I understand the importance of deporting criminal aliens,” García wrote. “But what we are witnessing undermines the sense of fairness and justice that the American people value.”
Despite her loyalty to the party and her background as a former deputy press secretary for the Department of Homeland Security during Trump’s first term, García now says the current actions don’t reflect the platform she helped build. “This is not what we voted for,” she said.
Other Republicans are worried, too
García isn’t alone. Florida Rep. María Elvira Salazar also criticized the administration’s immigration crackdown. She described the actions as “heartbreaking” and “jeopardizing our duty to due process,” The Hill reported.
Salazar, who represents a largely immigrant district, emphasized that individuals with pending asylum cases or status adjustment petitions “deserve to go through the legal process.” She added that most of these cases involve people fleeing the “three most brutal regimes in our hemisphere”—Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua.
According to USA Today, Salazar plans to meet with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem this week. She will do so alongside Florida Reps. Mario Díaz-Balart and Carlos Giménez, to discuss the ongoing crisis.
Latinas for Trump are divided—but not silent
The GOP’s messaging on immigration has shifted sharply under Trump’s second term. And the consequences are being felt in real time. García, who once founded Latinas for Trump to mobilize Hispanic support, now finds herself in the uncomfortable position of having to call out her own party.
“I stand with Congresswoman Salazar,” she wrote. “As the state senator who represents her district and the daughter of Cuban refugees, who are now just as American—if not more so—than Stephen Miller, I am deeply disappointed by these actions. And I will not stand down.”
According to UnidosUS, 78% of Hispanic voters believe deportation efforts should focus on “violent criminals.” This means not on families, not asylum seekers, not those still waiting for their cases to be heard. García’s statement may mark the beginning of a larger reckoning among the very voters Trump once celebrated as his unlikely allies.
