Miami Republican walks back "kill them" remark about migrant gang members

Miami Republican Rep. María Elvira Salazar said this week that the U.S. should "kill" some gang members who illegally enter the country before quickly softening her stance.

Why it matters: If former President Trump retakes the White House in November, he's promised a major law enforcement and military crackdown on undocumented immigration.

• The GOP's platform refers to crossings at the southern border as an "invasion" and pledges to deploy the U.S. Navy to halt drug smugglers.

Driving the news: Salazar, speaking at an Axios panel at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, said the U.S. should take a hardline stance against immigrants who are members of the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua.

• "Those who just came in and belong to El Tren de Aragua , we should kill them," Salazar, who is up for reelection, said in videotaped remarks before appearing to catch herself and pivoting . "We should pull them by the hair and kick them out."

Context: Salazar's remarks came in response to a question about the Dignity Act , an immigration reform bill she sponsored that would reinforce the U.S.-Mexico border and provide legal status for certain undocumented immigrants.

• The bipartisan bill would allow undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. for five years who don't have a criminal record the ability to work and potentially earn legal status.
• The seven-year Dignity Program would require applicants to pay $5,000 in "restitution" to fund workforce training for unemployed American citizens.

What they're saying: Salazar's press secretary denied that the congresswoman completed the phrase "kill them," but stopped short of saying she misspoke.

• "If you go back and listen, she did not finish the word 'them' and complete the sentence, but instead immediately transitioned into the following line about kicking them out," he wrote in an email.
• "The Congresswoman's position is that we should deport all members of the criminal Tren de Aragua gang."

The other side: Democrat Lucia Báez Geller, who is running against Salazar in Florida's 27th District, said calling for violence is "appalling."

• In a statement to Axios, Báez Geller said the U.S. must ensure a "fair process that supports and protects those looking for opportunity and safety," while safeguarding against El Tren de Aragua and others "trying to do us harm from entering."
• "Unfortunately," she added, Salazar "used this opportunity to push her violent rhetoric in line with Trump and MAGA extremism."

Mike Davey , another Democrat running in District 27, said that instead of working "in good-faith to fix the issues with our broken immigration system," Salazar "continues to fan the flames of division with more extreme rhetoric and calls for violence."

In discussing the Dignity Act , Salazar drew a stark contrast between Venezuelan gang members and undocumented immigrants with ties to their communities.

• "Those who are here and who have been here for more than five years, who have contributed, who have roots in the community, who have American children, don't have a criminal record and have been cooperating with the economy, maybe we should give them dignity," she said.