A Republican candidate for City Council in Doral, Florida, says U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is violating constitutional rights through its enforcement practices, despite supporting President Donald Trump and the federal agency.
Pedro "Peter" Espinosa, a 64-year-old Cuban American Army veteran running for Seat 4 in the November 3 election, told the Miami Herald that he supports immigration enforcement but objects to how people with pending immigration cases are being detained.
"They're violating constitutional rights. ICE is violating rights by doing what they're doing. There has to be a better process," Espinosa told the outlet.
Doral, in Miami-Dade County, is home to a large Venezuelan community. Venezuelans account for approximately 40% of its population and an estimated third of registered voters, while more than 70% of residents were born outside the United States.
Espinosa said he would not campaign against Doral's agreement with ICE, known as 287(g), because of the potential political consequences. The arrangement can authorize trained local officers to perform certain federal immigration functions, although city officials say Doral police have not received the necessary training or participated in immigration raids.
His opponent, Venezuelan American Republican Gustavo Garagorry, also expressed dissatisfaction with Trump's immigration policies. "My expectations have not been met," said Garagorry, who is seeking temporary deportation protections for Venezuelans but does not regret supporting Trump.
In the other council race, incumbent Maureen Porras, a Republican immigration attorney who voted for the ICE agreement, said she had questioned police officials about their involvement in federal operations. "I hope they're being truthful," Porras said after receiving assurances that local officers were not participating.
Her challenger, Fernanda Gomes, defended complying with federal immigration authorities and proposed lobbying Washington for policy changes.
Espinosa cited Republican Rep. María Elvira Salazar's proposed Dignity Act as a possible alternative to current enforcement practices. The legislation would provide eligible undocumented immigrants temporary authorization to remain and work in the United States, subject to conditions, without directly granting permanent residency.
On October 15, Salazar predicted that Trump would support legislation granting certain undocumented immigrants temporary legal status without citizenship. She added that immigration reform could be enacted before Trump leaves office, although no such agreement has been announced.
Salazar has herself criticized Trump's immigration enforcement, saying in September that his policies had gone too far and that Hispanic supporters felt betrayed. Trump subsequently defended his approach.
Her proposed solution, however, faces criticism from migrants. A recent piece by El País detailed frustration among Cuban immigrants holding I-220A release documents, which do not provide a route to permanent residency. "She presented herself as our advocate," Cuban migrant May Díaz told the newspaper, accusing Salazar of exploiting migrants' uncertainty without securing lasting protections.
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