Doral Mayor Christi Fraga criticized federal immigration enforcement after local business owners reported a 70% drop in sales due to masked ICE agents detaining individuals. Fraga distanced herself from the Trump administration’s hardline policies, stating that local officials cannot impede federal agents despite the economic toll on the South Florida city.
A Republican mayor in Florida has attempted to distance herself from Donald Trump and his hardline immigration policies following severe economic backlash from local merchants.
Doral Businesses Suffer Declines as ICE Agents Target South Florida
Business owners in Doral—a South Florida city located roughly 80 miles from Mar-a-Lago where Donald Trump owns a hotel and golf resort—reported that masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents roaming city streets have frightened customers away, severely hurting their revenue. Christi Fraga, elected as Doral’s first female mayor in 2022, faced the damage control efforts as local merchants voiced their distress to CBS News Miami.
“It’s affecting us,” said Katia Rios of Pipo Burgers. “Our sales have dropped 70 percent. We spend hours empty.”
Katia Rios of Pipo Burgers
Mayor Fraga expressed sympathy for those affected by the federal actions while attempting to detach herself from the White House’s agenda. I don’t agree with the way things are handled,
Fraga told CBS, noting that federal law prevents local authorities from interfering with ICE enforcement operations regardless of local agreement.
Political Fallout and Criticism Among Republican Lawmakers
Fraga, whose term runs until her re-election cycle in 2028, stated that the city receives no advance notification from ICE regarding planned immigration raids in Doral. She defended her office’s handling of constituent complaints, noting that staff members are actively placing phone calls and holding conversations rather than relying solely on letters and emails.
The friction in Doral highlights a broader trend among Republican lawmakers seeking distance from Trump’s immigration enforcement strategies as the midterm elections approach. In Miami, Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar released a campaign ad disavowing the policies, asserting that the administration had gone too far
and betrayed
Hispanic voters who supported the 2024 presidential victory.
In July, 50 percent of the 50,000 people that were detained had no criminal record. Be careful what your advisers are telling you about immigration policies.
Maria Elvira Salazar, Miami Rep.
Concerns for GOP Support in Miami-Dade County
Concerns over the political impact of hardline enforcement in Miami-Dade County—a historically Democratic stronghold that shifted toward Trump in 2024 due to increased support among Hispanic voters—extend even to figures close to the administration. A Trump adviser told Axios about receiving worried messages from local supporters regarding visible detentions.
I’m getting the Trumpiest Cubans sending me videos from Miami of guys getting busted at places like the gas station, for no apparent reason.
Trump adviser
As the White House faces mounting pressure from both local officials and congressional representatives regarding the economic and political fallout in South Florida, the Daily Beast has contacted the administration for comment.
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