Doral candidates back Trump as immigration crackdown fuels fear among residents

Doral voters will choose two members of the City Council on Nov. 3, as immigration enforcement remains a central concern in the nothwestern Miami-Dade city, home to one of the country’s largest Venezuelan communities.

The four candidates, all naturalized U.S. citizens, reflect the diversity of a city where more than 70% of residents were born abroad. Their positions on federal immigration enforcement differ, ranging from defending the city’s agreement with immigration authorities to calling for changes to the system and greater protections for immigrants, particularly Venezuelans, who account for about 40% of Doral’s population and an estimated third of its registered voters.

Incumbent Maureen Porras, a Nicaraguan American nonprofit immigration attorney, says she has questioned city officials about whether local police have participated in immigration operations. Fernanda Gomes, a Venezuelan American real estate agent challenging Porras for Seat 2, says local officials should follow federal law.

Pedro “Peter” Espinosa, a Cuban American Army veteran running for Seat 4, says he supports President Donald Trump and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but believes the enforcement process needs to change. Gustavo Garagorry, a Venezuelan American and former Doral legislative assistant running against Espinosa, says his expectations for Trump have not been met and is advocating for immigration relief for Venezuelans.

The differences emerged in Miami Herald interviews with candidates for both seats as the immigration debate has highlighted tensions between their support for Trump and residents’ concerns about how his administration is enforcing immigration laws.

Although Doral’s City Council election is nonpartisan, three of the four candidates — Porras, Espinosa and Garagorry — are registered Republicans. Gomes has no party affiliation. Porras switched her registration from Democrat to Republican in 2024.

As of October, about 45% of Doral’s registered voters had no party affiliation, roughly a third were Republicans and a fifth were Democrats, according to the Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections.

Porras: ‘I hope they’re being truthful’

Porras, 38, said she contacted Doral’s city manager and Police Chief Matthew Castillo after hearing about an increase in immigration enforcement activity in the city. She asked whether the city has been involved in the operations and whether any police officers had received training under an enforcement agreement with ICE known as 287(g), which gives some cops immigration enforcement authority.

Porras said based on the responses she received, the city’s position had not changed and local police are not participating in immigration raids.

“I hope they’re being truthful,” she said, adding that she would have a serious problem if officials are not giving her accurate information.

In April 2025, Porras and the other four members of the council, including Mayor Christi Fraga, voted in favor of an agreement between the police department and ICE. The city formally entered into the agreement in January. However, city officials have repeatedly said Doral police have not received the training required to enforce federal immigration laws.

She defended the city’s decision to sign the agreement, arguing that it had not made residents more vulnerable because it had not been implemented or used. But she said that position would have to be reconsidered if local officers began training or cooperating with ICE.

As an immigration attorney, Porras said her approach has been to help residents prepare for situations they cannot control. She has held legal information workshops covering immigration and other issues, connected residents with organizations and provided advice and direct assistance.

“When you can’t control what’s happening around you, the best thing is to prepare people,” she said, emphasizing the importance of knowing their rights and understanding what to do if they are stopped by authorities.

Porras also defended her support for immigration relief as a Republican. She said Republican members of Congress representing South Florida have urged the Trump administration to consider the circumstances of local immigrant communities, although those appeals have not resulted in a change in federal policy.

She distinguished between immigrants who are working, contributing to the community and complying with the law and people who commit crimes.

Gomes: Follow the law, press Washington

Gomes, 46, a Venezuelan American real estate agent challenging Porras for Seat 2, is part of Doral United, a team aligned with Mayor Fraga that is seeking to secure a supermajority on the council.

Gomes said she would not have voted against the agreement with ICE, arguing that council members should rely on legal advice and comply with federal law.

“If the federal police are asking local police for support, logically they’re under the law,” she said.

Rather than opposing the agreement, Gomes said local officials should use their relationships with state and federal leaders to seek changes or relief for residents affected by immigration enforcement.

She said she would follow the lead of Fraga and other local officials by writing letters, meeting with members of Congress and lobbying in Washington, efforts that so far have failed to produce changes in federal immigration policy.

Espinosa: Supports ICE, wants a different process

Espinosa, 64, is also part of Fraga’s Doral United team. He says he supports Trump and ICE but believes the immigration enforcement process needs to change.

“I just don’t support the process,” he said.

Espinosa, who has worked in logistics at UPS for three decades, said he supports legal immigration and believes the country must enforce its laws. He also pointed to the large number of people who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in recent years as a reason the administration needed to act. But he said the current system needs improvement, particularly when people with pending immigration cases are detained.

“There are different avenues that we need to explore because right now, it’s not right,” Espinosa said. “They’re violating constitutional rights. ICE is violating rights by doing what they’re doing. There has to be a better process.”

Espinosa said he would not campaign against the city’s 287(g) agreement, arguing that doing so could cost him politically. But he said he wants to advocate for changes to the immigration system and would speak with state and federal officials if elected.

He pointed to U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar’s proposed Dignity Act as an example of an effort to provide a path forward for immigrants living and working in the country. But the bill has stalled in Congress, with no clear path to passage. The act would allow eligible immigrants to remain and work in the country under a temporary legal status while paying fees, leaving them without a direct path to permanent residency.

As an immigrant himself, he said, he finds the immigration crackdown personally painful . Espinosa said he came to the United States from Cuba when he was 4 with his mother. He said he understands the fear associated with detention and the immigration process. He also said he hears those fears from Venezuelan residents and friends.

Garagorry: Expectations not met

Garagorry, 59, who is running against Espinosa for Seat 4, worked for eight years as Doral’s legislative analyst. He said his expectations for Trump have not been met and that he advocates for immigration relief for Venezuelans.

Garagorry, said he supported Trump’s promises, but added the administration’s treatment of Venezuelans and the broader immigration crackdown have disappointed him.

“I’m simply saying my expectations have not been met,” said Garagorry, president of the Venezuelan American Republican club.

He said he has advocated for Venezuelan immigrants, and has written to the White House seeking immigration relief and asking for Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans.

Garagorry is asking the administration to grant Deferred Enforced Departure, a temporary protection from deportation, or grant another form of temporary protected status to Venezuelans, he said.

He questioned the prospect of deporting Venezuelans to a third country where they may have no ties or resources and argued that the administration should consider the circumstances of people affected by its decisions.

Garagorry said he does not regret supporting Trump, but he said that does not mean he agrees with all aspects of immigration policy.

Legal consequences?

As the election approaches, immigrant rights advocates are pressing the City Council to end its agreement with ICE. Fraga has said in recent weeks that she contacted Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier to clarify whether the city could withdraw without facing legal consequences.

Porras told the Herald she “would support rescinding the city’s 287(g) agreement if the city attorney said it wouldn’t have any legal implications for the city” based on results in the city of South Miami when it went to court to determine whether it needed to comply.

In March 2025, South Miami officials asked a judge to determine whether Uthmeier’s interpretation of the law was correct. The judge dismissed the case in September 2025. State attorneys had argued that Florida law did not require every municipality to enter an agreement, provided they did not oppose doing so.

Other Miami-Dade cities have not signed the agreement, including Miami Beach and Miami Gardens, without any legal consequences.

None of the four candidates has publicly criticized Trump’s policies, even as federal enforcement has affected Doral residents with pending immigration cases and businesses have faced declining sales amid fears of immigration raids.

The immigration debate is unfolding alongside a broader political contest over the direction of Doral’s government.

The November election could further strengthen Fraga’s position on the council. A four-member bloc on Doral’s five member council could pass ordinary measures with a comfortable majority and approve actions for which the city charter requires four votes. That could give Fraga greater leverage over the council’s agenda and spending priorities.

Florida law sets specific voting thresholds for adopting a property-tax rate above the current rolled-back rate, with stricter requirements for larger increases. A four-member bloc could support a higher rate or changes to spending priorities.

This story was originally published October 15, 2026 at 10:37 AM.