Miami Mayor Francis Suarez expressed his support for former President Donald Trump's potential 2024 campaign, highlighting immigration as a key factor in his endorsement.
"After seeing both our current President and President Trump at the border, and having been there myself last week, it is evident to me that the only candidate that will keep our country safe, our border secured, reduce inflation, and can coherently lead our country forward is President Trump," Suarez expressed on X.
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez Endorses Trump For President
Suarez, a Republican of Cuban descent who briefly ran for the GOP nomination in 2023 as the party's only Latino candidate, is eager to support Trump's campaign based on his strong record compared to the Biden administration. He also aims to assist in expanding the Republican Party's appeal to Hispanic and young voters in cities and urban centers.
The approval was given a day after both Trump and Biden made visits to the US-Mexico border in separate events, captured on split screen, reflecting the current political climate in two Texas border towns, as per Miami Herald.
Trump and Republicans gained more backing from Latino voters in Miami-Dade County and throughout Florida, while both political parties worked on reaching out to this significant demographic, which accounts for more than a quarter of the state's population.
During November 2022, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis secured a significant victory in Miami-Dade County, receiving strong backing from Latino voters by the largest margin seen by a Republican governor in years.
Suarez's support follows recent polling indicating a decline in Hispanic voter support for the Democrat Party. A Gallup poll from last month revealed that Republicans are now only 12 points behind in this community, the smallest gap since 2011.
The poll also revealed that support for Democrats among younger voters is currently at its lowest point in nearly twenty years. In a poll by USA Today/Suffolk University published in January, Biden's backing among Hispanic voters dropped to 34% from 59%.
Biden, Trump Seek Support From Latino Voters
Suarez's support was announced shortly after Trump and President Biden hosted competing events at the southern border. Biden faced criticism for selecting Brownsville, Texas for his visit, an area with less impact from the migrant crisis compared to Eagle Pass, Texas, where Trump visited.
Suarez initiated his presidential campaign in June of the previous year, but became the initial candidate to exit the race in August due to his inability to attract support from voters and donors, as well as his disqualification from the initial presidential debate.
Last week, Suarez traveled to the Mexican border in the Texan town of McAllen with a conservative nonprofit group. He expressed his support for revamping the federal immigration system to "right-size" it and his openness to welcoming more migrant workers to Miami. Last year, he traveled to the border while campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination.
Estimating the number of immigrants who have arrived in Miami in recent years is a challenging task. An analysis of Department of Homeland Security data for a county reveals that more than 58,000 migrants processed by federal authorities at the US-Mexico border have identified the Miami metro area as their planned destination since June 2023.
South Florida is a region where national immigration issues and Latin American foreign policy are frequently discussed in local politics. The recent activity at the US-Mexico border has become a topic of public conversation among elected officials.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava has requested Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to consider expanding Temporary Protected Status for Nicaragua and providing retroactive humanitarian parole for recently-arrived Cubans who are not eligible to apply for green cards under the Cuban Adjustment Act.
Immigration has been a focal point of Hialeah's local government in recent weeks. Mayor Esteban Bovo, a Cuban-American Republican who is a supporter of Trump, has blamed newly-arrived migrants for certain problems in the city, including the shortage of affordable housing. However, authorities have only provided minimal evidence connecting migrants in Hialeah to a burden on the city and its resources.
On Monday, the City Commission of Hialeah, which had previously named one of the city's main avenues after Trump in November, passed a resolution condemning President Joe Biden for his immigration policies, alleging they have negatively impacted Hialeah.
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