#BecauseMiami: RIP 1st Amendment

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: #BecauseMiami: RIP 1st Amendment

Recorded: February 6, 2026

---

Overview

In this episode of The Dan Le Batard Show’s #BecauseMiami segment, host Billy Corben is joined by guest Elliot Rodriguez, activist Joshua Epstein, and attorney Courtney Caprio. The discussion centers on the erosion of First Amendment rights—spotlighting the ongoing legal battles in Surfside, FL, against government abuses of power and retaliation against dissent, and then pivots to the wider climate of anti-immigrant policies in the U.S., especially how they impact the Cuban-American community in Miami.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Joshua Epstein Surfside Lawsuit: Standing Up for the First Amendment

[00:30–14:41]

Background

• Billy Corben recounts the 2024 false arrest of Joshua Epstein, an 18-year-old activist who regularly challenged Surfside town officials during public meetings, including then-Vice Mayor Jeff Rose and Mayor Shlomo Danziger.
• Epstein was arrested following a confrontation over alleged physical contact, which he denies. The criminal case was dropped due to lack of evidence, but Epstein is now suing past and present town officials for false arrest and abuse of power.

Abuse of Power and First Amendment Retaliation

• Attorney Courtney Caprio details the “campaign of First Amendment retaliation” waged against Epstein and other residents:
  • Danziger actively pushed for Epstein’s prosecution even after state attorneys declined charges.
  • Residents were forcibly removed from meetings for public comments critical of officials.
  • Parody and satire—protected speech—became the target of police investigations.
  • Shlomo Danziger erased electronic records after leaving office.
• Notable Quote:

  “We don't have a dictatorship with palm trees. We have a democracy, and we must protect it. And that's why we filed this lawsuit.”
  — Courtney Caprio ([05:33])

• Epstein and Caprio highlight a culture of fear in Surfside, likening the officials’ behavior to “authoritarian regimes” many immigrants sought to escape.

Evidence and Accountability

• Corben underscores the importance of public records in accountability journalism and expresses concern about officials’ attempts to withhold or destroy them.
• Caprio confirms that significant evidence of “collusion and retaliation” exists, and highlights the difficulty of obtaining documents due to officials wiping devices and stonewalling requests.
• The current mayor, Charles Burkett, has spoken in support of accountability, a rare move for a sitting official defending a town in litigation.

Epstein’s Message to Voters

• With Danziger running for mayor again, Epstein calls for Surfside voters to protect their freedoms at the ballot box:
  • Notable Quote:

    “Let’s never give our freedoms away to people who think they can do whatever they want to us. … You can speak out against them, but you can't throw them in jail and pick them up on a Friday night and throw them in TGK because that’s not what we do in this country.”
    — Joshua Epstein ([13:48])

---

2. Immigration Crackdown & the Cuban-American Experience

[16:01–31:21]

Elliot Rodriguez’s Stand Post-Retirement

• Legendary Miami journalist Elliot Rodriguez, recently retired, explains his decision to break from a career of objective reporting to speak out directly against federal actions targeting immigrants, inspired by his own parents’ Cuban immigrant story.
• Rodriguez joins a public service campaign with businessman Mike Fernandez, motivated by disturbing parallels between current U.S. policies and the early days of dictatorship in Cuba.

Changing Political Winds for Cuban-Americans

• Corben references a New York Times headline about record numbers of Cubans being deported, a major shift after decades of “Cuban exceptionalism.”
• Cuban-Americans in Miami, many of whom voted for Trump in 2024 expecting “only bad hombres” would be targeted, now face the reality of mass deportations affecting their own community.
  • Notable Quote:

    “I'm getting a lot of ‘this is not what I voted for. I thought they were going after the bad hombres.’ … I'm saying, weren't you paying attention?”
    — Elliot Rodriguez ([21:13])

• Rodriguez poignantly shares that had his parents’ paperwork been scrutinized in the 1950s, they too might have faced deportation, emphasizing empathy and the principle that all should be treated equally under the Constitution.

Political Hypocrisy and Electoral Fallout

• The hosts and Rodriguez criticize Cuban-American politicians for their complicity and hypocrisy, noting that many now feign outrage only as Latino voters shift away from the GOP following the impact of harsh deportation policies.
  • Notable Quote:

    “They're hypocrites. … What he [Mike Fernandez] is seeing now in the United States reminds him exactly of what was happening in his country when he was 12 years old and he left.”
    — Elliot Rodriguez ([29:44])

• Maria Elvira Salazar and others are called out for focusing not on policy but political consequences—specifically, fears of losing upcoming elections as Hispanic voters sour on the Republican Party.

Anti-Immigrant Climate and Broader Danger

• Corben and Rodriguez highlight the rapid expansion of anti-immigrant tactics, including reports of “goon squads” detaining citizens and non-citizens alike, and the ominous implication that Miami could soon become the next target.
  • Notable Quote:

    “Nobody in the United States of America should be subjected to somebody pulling up in an unmarked car wearing a mask and asking them for their papers. This is not Nazi Germany.”
    — Elliot Rodriguez ([31:06])

---

3. Media Manipulation, Exclusion, and American Identity

[32:12–end]

Right-Wing Response and Dehumanization

• The episode closes with a sharp critique of right-wing influencers who dismiss Cuban-Americans speaking out for immigrant rights as not “truly American,” encapsulated in a vitriolic rant played on air.

Identity and the Right to Belong

• Corben points out the absurdity and malice in telling people born in America to “go back” to countries they’ve never lived in, underscoring the precariousness of “belonging” in modern political discourse:
  • Notable Quote:

    “For the record, he wants her to go back to Cuba. She was born in Miami.”
    — Billy Corben ([32:55])

---

Notable Quotes & Moments

• [03:39] Billy Corben jokes about the “Slow Mo Danziger” parody song, illustrating the history of satirical resistance in Surfside.
• [09:09] Joshua Epstein recounts how even his mother was investigated for sending a clearly-marked parody email to officials, highlighting overreach.
• [12:18] Caprio: “They thought they could just reign with impunity. … That’s not correct and that’s why we’re bringing this case.”
• [21:13] Rodriguez: “I'm getting a lot of ‘this is not what I voted for. I thought they were going after the bad hombres.’ … I'm saying, weren't you paying attention?”
• [25:59] Rodriguez challenges Rep. Salazar and other local Republicans: “Did you not find out exactly what Donald Trump was going to do? Because the rest of us knew.”
• [31:06] Rodriguez: “Nobody in the United States of America should be subjected to somebody pulling up in an unmarked car wearing a mask and asking them for their papers. This is not Nazi Germany.”
• [32:44] Clip: “You want to talk about we? Go back to Cuba and talk about we … How dare you come here and tell us that.”

---

Important Timestamps

| Time | Segment | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:30 | Billy introduces the Surfside legal saga and guests | | 02:46 | Epstein’s description of the abuses and community fear | | 04:54 | Courtney Caprio details the legal argument and evidence | | 09:09 | Satire/parody retaliation and escalation described | | 11:13 | Battle over public records and destruction of evidence | | 13:08 | Courtney on Mayor Burkett’s support for accountability | | 13:48 | Epstein urges voters to protect freedoms | | 16:01 | Elliot Rodriguez’s post-retirement activism and personal immigrant story | | 21:13 | Discussion on Cuban-American voter response to mass deportations | | 29:44 | Rodriguez calls politicians “hypocrites”; draws analogies to Cuba | | 31:06 | “Goons squads” and the new normalization of anti-immigrant practices | | 32:12 | Matt Walsh clip: “Go back to Cuba” / Examination of American identity |

---

Summary & Takeaways

• The episode weaves together local struggles for free speech and accountability in government (Surfside lawsuit) with national trends of authoritarianism and anti-immigrant policy, especially as they challenge the self-concept and political alignments of Miami's Cuban-American community.
• Listeners are left with a powerful reminder that the erosion of civil liberties—whether through local silencing of dissent or mass federal deportations—demands vigilance, activism, and above all, the courage to speak out, even when it's inconvenient or uncomfortable.
• The hosts and guests, in a tone that’s both passionate and comedic, encourage listeners to protect democratic values, hold officials accountable, and make their voices heard at the ballot box and beyond.

Transcript

[Courtney Caprio]

This message is brought to you by Venmo. Being a football fan isn't always easy, especially during the postseason. The stakes are high, the pressures are through the roof, and your team is out there struggling against impossible odds while all you can do is just watch, that's hard. But paying with Venmo all playoff long, that's easy. Whether you're catching a ride to the stadium, ordering food to the watch party, or hooking yourself up with some vintage swag, just pay with Venmo for great deals on your favorite brands. Terms and exclusions apply.

[Billy Corben]

All right, Josh, do me a favor. Turn around, put your hands behind your back. False arrest. It's what Joshua Epstein calls his being locked up in 2024 regarding a verbal spat with the then vice mayor of Surfside, Jeff Rose. The contention happened at Surfside Town Hall. Rose, then Mayor Schlomo Danziger and others were routinely questioned and called out by the young activist. Jeff, you push me? Epstein says no pushing occurred.

[Joshua Epstein]

I didn't push you.

[Billy Corben]

The criminal case against the then 18 year old was dropped. The state attorn office saying there was no battery. Now Epstein is suing, taking aim at Rose, then Surfside Mayor Schlomo Danziger, the former police chief and town manager for false arrest and abuse of power. The town itself is also named. Current mayor Charles Burkett taking a shot at his predecessor. Using our police to punish Danziger's political enemies is an outrage. But worse, it is a criminal act itself.

[Elliot Rodriguez]

Foreign.

[Billy Corben]

Thanks to Sheldon Fox at Miami's WSVN for that report. Joshua Epstein has been on the show now. I think this is his third visit. There might be a prize for that. I'm not sure what it is, but Joshua was a. Were you a college student at the time? You were first on the show. Now you are a first year law student. He is joined by his attorney Courtney Caprio from Caldera Law in Miami, who some of you might recognize from the Joe Carollo case that we followed quite extensively for years. She was on the winning side of the Corolla case, I should say the 63 and a half million dollar judgment against disgraced former Miami commissioner Joe Corollo. We're in Studio B today. So we don't have the. The cart machine and so Roy's going to do it live. Yeah, that's Joe Carollo. There we go. Thank you. Congratulations belatedly on that, Courtney. I won't ask you how collections are going from that turnip, but this is a new case just filed. We've been waiting on this for quite Some time, Josh, obviously, justice delayed is justice denied. But how are you feeling now about kind of moving towards getting your day in court?

[Joshua Epstein]

Yeah, I'm excited. I mean, I want justice. I want accountability. I want to make sure what happened to me never happens again. Evidence election and doing public records requests takes a while. There was a lot of wrongdoing that went on in town hall, as is evidenced in the lawsuit, but also just in large amounts of files that we now have. What happened was a disgrace. It wasn't just to me. It was two years of abuses of power, of threatening people that spoke out against the Surfside government. They turned my little small beach town that I've always called home into some place I didn't recognize, into some place that many people in the community fled authoritarian regimes. You should never go to jail for speaking out against people in power. And I think what they did in Surfside will happen again if they're not held accountable. Shlomo Danziger is running for mayor again, and it's really scary.

[Billy Corben]

Well, on the upside of Shlomo Danziger running for mayor again, we could dust off that old parody song. Do you remember the Danziger parody song?

[Elliot Rodriguez]

Oh, man, that was so long ago.

[Billy Corben]

No, I don't remember Slow Mo Danzinger, that guy, or something like that. In fact, when he. You're going to have to believe that. In fact, when he lost the election two years ago, there's a video of somebody driving down Collins past the town hall of Surfside blasting our song out of their car. A rare W for this program. Hashtag because Miami.

[Elliot Rodriguez]

Oh, wow.

[Billy Corben]

You played the card. I had to do the cart. I had to do the card. Let me ask you this, Courtney. You name a lot of people. There's a lot of defendants in their individual capacity, as well as the town of Surfside. I noticed Shlomo Danzinger is on that list of co defendants. Now, it was Jeff Rose who initially was involved in this confrontation with Joshua. Had the police come to him, made a. What I would argue was a false complaint against Joshua. And then I think within about 24 hours, Joshua was falsely arrested. So how and why is Shlomo Danzinger involved in this?

[Courtney Caprio]

Well, there was a campaign of First Amendment retaliation that went on prior to Josh's arrest. Josh was vocal throughout slomo's reign, and he criticized him for the Champlain Towers and asked him over and over again for the Dubai receipts. They never answered. Joshua and Shlomo was involved in this. You'll see in the complaint he wrote to Tallahassee trying to encourage Joshua's prosecution after the Miami Dade State Attorney's office determined there's no basis to charge him and that the statute that they use doesn't even apply.

[Billy Corben]

What? I'm sorry. He wrote Tallahassee, like the Attorney General's office, to prosecute this kid for nothing.

[Courtney Caprio]

For nothing? Yes.

[Joshua Epstein]

Correct.

[Courtney Caprio]

He tried to rally the prosecution against Joshua. He wrote to Tallahassee. He tried to say that this was a danger to public officials everywhere and that Joshua needed to be in jail. That's why he's named. And he also was involved with ordering the police to take residents away from the podium at commission meetings when they were speaking out against him. You'll see all the pictures in the complaint. A draconian situation. We don't have a dictatorship with palm trees. We have a democracy, and we must protect it. And that's why we filed this lawsuit.

[Billy Corben]

Let's talk about that. Because, Joshua, you seem like a pretty harmless guy beyond your speech, beyond your First Amendment rights. I don't see you as any kind of physical threat. I can't imagine reasonable, rational adults would. But you made yourself a presence by being present in city or town hall at meetings. You challenged authority, spoke truth to power, asked tough questions. So that's really where you were, the threat. I guess my question is, is about this escalation that your lawyer, Courtney Caprio, is talking about. The idea that it sort of started with the police, like, literally in some cases, dragging people or forcing people out of public meetings during public comment, and then kind of advances to a. I think they investigated you over a work of parody, a satirical, like, email blast or something. And then, of course, false arrest. By the way, I relate a lot to this. This is very similar to the kind of, you know, accountability journalism and activism that I do. I go to meetings, I speak at public comment. I speak truth to power. I do parodies, you know, I do satire. You sure do. All of this is protected speech. Like, this is classic First Amendment shit here. So I want to talk about that. A, how much of a threat are you? And B, talk about this escalation of police powers and First Amendment retal retaliation.

[Joshua Epstein]

As just anyone living in Surfside in those two years knows originally we had really competent hands running the town. They cleared out all of those people. They gave exorbitant pay raises to people that they knew would be their yes man. They bought loyalty. Then they throw people out of town hall throughout their reign for speaking truth to power. I mean, there's one case that comes to mind. Victoria Safi, she's this really just sweet woman, a mom in the community, and he has her taken out by four police officers just for speaking truth to power. I mean, she is one of the calmest public speakers I've ever seen. They were scared of words. In Surfside, as in any regime where those in power are not doing their job to benefit Surfside residents, they were scared of those with a mouth. And I've never been a threat to anyone. I've never gotten in trouble for touching anyone. I'm a pretty scrawny guy. First, my mom sent out a parody email with, like, Shlomo Danziger on a little, little toy truck, and they investigated that for impersonation of an elected official. Not only was it clear throughout the entire email that it was parody, but at the bottom of it, it says, this is parody. If you haven't figured it out already. I mean, anyone with a first grade education would sense that it was parody. They sent out a community alert with a police badge saying, this is being investigated. Shlomo Danz sent out a thing saying, this is being investigated and the police are looking into it, or something along those lines. The police did a full investigation into a parody email. I mean, this is something that should not happen in the United States of America. I mean, moms in the community in Surfside, but elsewhere should feel safe to go and say, hey, my neighbor's being really loud, or there's a lot of traffic. I mean, that's what makes America great, is we can go to our elected officials and say we don't like what's going on. But in Surfside, people were scared to do that because of Shlomo, because of Rose. I mean, there's a video. Video of Rose at the commission meeting saying anyone who complains to the higher authorities would be called out. They would be called out, held accountable. I mean, it was like, you see in another country where they're like, you speak out against me, you know, what's going to happen to you? And they alluded to it many times during their reign. What happens if you speak out against them? And I was the worst case of their abuse of power, but I certainly was not the only one. It was a pattern in practice, and it's really scary to have. I'm glad it's over, but it's. It's never over if they're not held accountable.

[Billy Corben]

Courtney, this sounds like an abuse of power, a misuse of law enforcement resources. Included in his individual capacity as a defendant in your lawsuit is the former police chief, Marciante I believe, is his name. So was there evidence here of some sort of collusion or conspiracy between or including the former mayor Shlomo Danzinger, the former vice mayor, Jeff Rose, this former police chief Marciante, I'm pointing out.

[Joshua Epstein]

Former.

[Billy Corben]

Former. Former, as Joshua did, to show that they really did clean house over there as sort of an acknowledgment that something wrong happened. So talk to me about that. What evidence have you uncovered that there was sort of this concerted, secret, behind the scenes effort here?

[Courtney Caprio]

We've seen there are emails going back and forth. We took two years to file this case to get the records that we needed to show the coll. And Marciante was in charge of the police department, and that is who arrested Joshua. So obviously the buck stops with him there. But in this case, the evidence will show overwhelmingly that there was collusion. They were all trying to arrest Joshua for his free speech. We are very excited to show this evidence and approve our case at trial.

[Billy Corben]

So let me ask you about that you mentioned. I'm a public records absolutist. That is basically my religion. Okay. I pray to the altar of chapter 119, which is the sunshine laws here in the state of Florida that demands supposedly government in the sunshine and access to our records. They are our records. They are not their records, they're ours. Talk about this almost two years kind of ongoing struggle here. Has there been. Is there an ongoing effort on the part of any of these public or former public officials to cover up these public records or fail to comply with public records? I'm always worried about destruction of public records, which is supposed to be a crime, but who the hell knows what the penalty for that is or how that's enforced? Talk to me about that, Courtney.

[Courtney Caprio]

Right. I mean, that's another problem that we have here. As you'll see in the complaint, Shlomo wiped his laptop before he turned it in, and also his phone was unavailable. So, you know, the public records law exists for the sunshine, Right. And that's very convenient for him.

[Joshua Epstein]

No.

[Courtney Caprio]

So, you know, obviously we'll be pressing that at trial and show that the jury know that there's missing evidence. That stuff can't be recovered once it's gone.

[Elliot Rodriguez]

Right.

[Courtney Caprio]

So again, like that, just abuse of power. It flies in the face of Florida law. And, you know, they thought that they could just reign with impunity and do what they wanted to do, and that's not correct. And that's why we're bringing this case.

[Billy Corben]

Courtney. In that WSVN report, Sheldon Fox the reporter got a, quote, statement from the current Surfside mayor, Charles Burkett. Now, he represents. He's the mayor of a town that you're suing. He's theoretically a litigant, a defendant, arguably, in this litigation. And he told the reporter, using our police to punish Danzinger's political enemies is an outrage, but worse, it is a criminal act in itself. How does it feel, you as a plaintiff's attorney, or how extraordinary and rare is it that you have a defendant effectively or someone who represents the defendants speaking out in favor of your side, of your position?

[Courtney Caprio]

Well, it's terrific, and it's certainly different than the Corolla case, but, you know, we're happy. We're really happy that Mayor Burkett is doing the right thing. He's taking accountability for what happened for the. From the last administration. And we're really excited and proud that he is speaking out and supporting us.

[Billy Corben]

Last thing, Joshua, before we go, you had mentioned earlier that Shlomo Danzinger is going to be back on the ballot this spring running again for his old job in the mayor's office. He's going to be running against, I imagine, Charles Burkett, who will be running for reelection. Do you have a message for Shlomo Danzinger?

[Joshua Epstein]

I have a message for Surfside voters. And, I mean, just. I think we all remember what it was like, how scared we were to. To complain about basic aspects of our lives that we didn't like in the town. And I think that we know who we are as Surfsiders, as Americans. I mean, we're all proud and Surfside to. To live in the United States of America and, let's say, never give our freedoms away to people who think that they can do whatever they want to us. I mean, we're strong people, and we'll hopefully not elect him at the ballot box and hopefully be held accountable in court. And a message can be sent to all South Florida politicians that if you don't like what someone says, you can speak out against them, but you can't throw them in jail and pick them up on a Friday night and throw them in TGK because that's not what we do in this country.

[Billy Corben]

Law student Joshua Epstein, his attorney, Courtney Caprio of Caldera Law. We will be following this one as we have now for almost two years. So we look forward to having you back and hearing more about the case as it proceeds. Best of luck to you folks. Listen up. Quick break in the action. Are you counting down the days until payday instacash from Moneyline can help you Access up to $500 of your hard earned pay early. There's no interest, no credit check and no monthly fees, so you can manage those in between expenses with less stress. Download the MoneyLion app and link your qualifying bank account to see what you qualify for. Moneylion make money easy. Instacast is subject to terms and eligibility requirements. Expedited delivery requires a turbo fee.

[Courtney Caprio]

See moneylion.com Big tax changes this year could mean a bigger refund. And Jackson Hewitt knows how to get you your biggest.

[Billy Corben]

You'll get $100 just to try us.

[Courtney Caprio]

That won't make you filthy rich, but.

[Billy Corben]

Definitely gas plus groceries rich. And since we know all the new.

[Courtney Caprio]

Tax cod, you could get thousands back which would make you low key, loaded or at least wealthy adjacent. Go with our trusted Pros and get $100 to switch.

[Billy Corben]

Rest easy.

[Courtney Caprio]

Jackson Hewitt's got your taxes guaranteed Limited.

[Billy Corben]

Time offer for new clients Participate in locations only [e-mail] For 48 years, I reported the truth.

[Elliot Rodriguez]

Now here's my truth. I'm the son of Cuban immigrants who came to this country for opportunity and the chance at the American dream. This community was built by hard working immigrants just like them. Yes, secure borders matter, but so does due process and our Constitution. When our leaders stay silent as these rights are trampled on, that silence is not leadership.

[Billy Corben]

Elliot Rodriguez is a legend. He started as a Miami news paper reporter in the late 1970s and started in Miami TV news in 1980, the most exciting, dangerous, significant year in any major city in America or perhaps the world in history. 45 years later, he retired as main anchor at CBS in Miami after 25 years. Elliot, you made a career out of reporting the facts objectively and succinctly and certainly passionately, but rarely have been in editorial form. And now in the immediate aftermath of your retirement when everybody just assumed you'd, you know, you'd chill out, you know, spend some time with the family, you are taking to the airwaves once again. But direct a camera with your opinion and your take on a crisis that's happening not only, I mean certainly in this country, but profoundly in this community. A minority majority or a majority minority community that we live in here in Miami Dade County. So why, why, why are you doing this? I mean, obviously you can now, but why are you doing this?

[Elliot Rodriguez]

I'm doing this because I'm not going to stay quiet with what's happening. First of all, thanks a lot for inviting me. And yes, I did step into a Television newsroom for the first time in my life in May of 1980. And you of all people would know it. Well, that was. We were right in the Mariel boat lift, the McDuffie Riots. It was right in the middle of the cocaine cowboys. So I got my baptism under fire in TV news. The guy that hired me, his name was Ralph Renick. And I'll always be grateful to them for turning me from a newspaper reporter into a TV reporter. And you're right, I was a journalist. I was never a commentator. I never gave my opinion. I considered a badge of honor that people did not know my political leanings. But towards the end, I was approached by a friend, Mike Fernandez, who is a very wealthy, well heeled, concerned citizen who asked me if I would join a campaign that he has speaking out against the what I consider atrocities against the immigrant community. Mike is doing a number of commercials and public service announcements, and he asked me if I would do it. And I said, mike, absolutely, I'll do it. Because the two most important people in my life were immigrants. My mother and my father.

[Billy Corben]

Elliot, you mentioned. I just want. For people at home who don't know Ralph Renick. Ralph Renick was Miami's Ron Burgundy. He was like our. Yeah, this. He was like classic old school, like practically drinking the scotch on the air, like at the desk kind of guy. And we should show it at some point. We should do some clips from Ralph Renick. I mean, he did some legendary. Some. What would be considered pretty. I mean, well, would have been considered wacky. Now, in an era of, you know, the 24 hour cable news cycle, not so much anymore. But he was sort of an originator of some of that kind of editorialization. Just like no holds barred, talking to the camera. But, Elliot, I want to show this recent headline, I mean, very recent headline from the New York Times, consistent with all the reporting that we've seen in 2025 and so far this year, remaking America. To their shock, Cubans in Florida are being deported in record numbers. Cubans had long benefited from legal privileges unavailable to immigrants from other countries. President Trump has changed that. And as of course, we know, Cuban Americans in Miami Dade county overwhelmingly voted for Donald Trump in 2024, swinging the entire county red for the first time in decades in a presidential election. What are you getting from the Cuban American community here in Miami Dade about this, this issue, this issue of Cuban Americans who were. Who were accustomed for, my God, 60 years to what we called Cuban exceptionalism in terms of the differentiation, some would argue double standard in America's immigration policy that held Cuban immigrants in exiles in very different standing from Haitians, Dominicans, literally everybody else, particularly from Latin America. What are you getting from the community? Because obviously this is, for you, an internal issue, like you're talking about your parents, but externally, what are you getting from the Cuban American community here in Miami Dade about this issue?

[Elliot Rodriguez]

Well, I'm getting a lot of this is not what I voted for. I thought they were going after the bad hombres. Oh, this is not what we wanted. And now we're waking up and I'm saying, weren't you paying attention? Wasn't this part of the whole anti immigrant stance that this administration has taken? And I think that people do feel that somehow we're special. You know, I am Cuban American, extremely proud of it. I grew up in a very Cuban household. I never lived in Cuba. I was not born in Cuba. But when people ask me, what are you? Just the shorthand answer is, I'm Cuban. My family history is a little different because my parents came before the revolution. My dad came here in 1946 as a single man living alone in New York city. And in 1955, he meets a Cuban woman, my mother, who was in New York on a work visa. She worked in a factory in New York. This was before Castro. So they met in the 1950s, mid-50s, when I was born. And they were just regular immigrants. They were not. Not political refugees. They weren't even economic refugees. My dad left because he was 21 years old. He was always. He was very adventurous. So he went to New York and he loved it, and he became a businessman there and he thrived. But if they had been stopped in the years when I was first born, they might have been, you know, become victims of ice. I don't know if they had all their documentation in order in 1956. In fact, I'm sure they didn't have all the paperwork in order. So maybe that's why I see it a little bit different. Maybe I have empathy and I think that all people should be treated the same. And I think that our laws should be followed and our Constitution should not be trampled on. And that's what we're seeing, Billy.

[Billy Corben]

Well, yeah, we have to go back to this revisionist history here because the history ain't that old. The history is from the 2024 campaign. And it reminds me, are you telling me the Cuban American community in Miami is claiming that they've been bamboozled by a man who turned out to be a dictator? I feel like at the end of Hunt for October, when the guy goes, andre, you've lost another submarine. Like, I mean, again, bamboozled again, Eliot, I'm sorry. And all of this was the policy. There were giant Trump rallies with hundreds of people holding up signs that said mass deportations. Now, they talked about openly deporting 15 to 20 million people. That can't just be bad hombres, that numbers like that can't be just convicted criminals. That would be statistically impossible. They talked about the privatization and building prisons and holding centers and concentration camps. They talked about at least a million people a year being deported. And you know what? Let me show this clip from my congresswoman, Maria Elvira Salazar, once again humiliating herself on national television. And there's a cynicism to this. Let's play this. Trump's net approval rating among Latinos on his deportation program. Look at this. You go back a year ago, according to the CBS News YouGov poll, he was right at even right as many.

[Elliot Rodriguez]

People approved as disapproved.

[Billy Corben]

Again, that's really good numbers for Republican among Latinos. But look at where we are now, 34 points underwater.

[Courtney Caprio]

Hispanics are very, very offended at the.

[Billy Corben]

Fact that they thought that the border.

[Courtney Caprio]

Was going to be sealed under President Trump. But then the bad hombres, as the.

[Billy Corben]

President said, were the, the ones who.

[Courtney Caprio]

Are going to be targeted. But right now, we are in deep trouble in the gop.

[Billy Corben]

Does anybody smell that? You smell that, Roy? That's the bullshit that she's talking. I mean, look, look at the statistics on screen. Trump struggles with Hispanic voters. 68% disapprove, 27% approve. That's practically like the inverse of where he was before. And a poll. If elections for Congress were held today, 41% of Hispanics would vote Democrat, 23% of Hispanics would vote Republican. That's some swing vote shit right there, Eliot. I'm getting the sense that Maria lvira Salazar is not sincere really about this, because ever since your ad came out, she's now taken to the airwaves in defense of, I guess her miserable track record of getting nothing done on this subject of selling out her district, which is, I think one of the largest immigrant Spanish speaking districts, if not the certainly among them in the entire country. And her position is, oh, we're going to lose the midterms. It's not about policy or compassion, it's about politics. Is that right?

[Elliot Rodriguez]

And I would ask Maria and the other Republicans who are now just opening their eyes, I would ask, weren't you Paying attention. Did you not do your due diligence? Did you not find out exactly what Donald Trump was going to do? Because the rest of us knew. We didn't know that the cruelty would reach this length. We didn't know that they were going to actually put an alligator Alcatraz in the middle of the Everglades. And by the way, Billy, has the federal government reimbursed the state of Florida for what, $600 million in FEMA funds to build a prison whose sole purpose is cruelty to be cruel to immigrants. And by the way, they never stop any white immigrants. They only stop brown Hispanic immigrants. And in some cases I've seen where they've stopped Hispan who are citizens. One guy will stop two times and he's a citizen. And both times he was rocked up by ICE agents. I believe it was in Alabama. And both times he was an American citizen. We should not be seeing this in the United States of America in 2026. It's just wrong.

[Billy Corben]

I'm still waiting on my Doge check. I'm still waiting on my tariff rebate. I imagine we'll see that over half a billion dollar reimbursement from the federal government to the state of Florida as soon as we get get those checks as well. Now, what we've seen on the streets of Minnesota is really interesting because the justification for this is this idea that there is somehow a disproportionate amount of fraud in that state, that there's a disproportionate number of undocumented immigrants and immigrants convicted of crimes. I'm trying to find the stat here, but I don't even think Minneapolis ranks In the top five, 10, 15, 20, maybe 50 cities. But you know who's number one for fraud? You know who's number one for immigrants per capita and for convicted criminal immigrants? I'll give you three guesses. Right.

[Elliot Rodriguez]

Florida.

[Billy Corben]

Well, which city? You're there. Oh, you're talking about cities. Miami. Nailed it. Certainly the Miami Dade, you know, metropolitan area here. So I guess, I mean, I'm being a little snarky about it, but the concern, Elliot, is that next stop Miami. If this administration is sincere about its commitment to cracking down on bad hombres and on fraud, or we going to see scenes like that in South Florida soon. And what, if anything, are congresspeople, all of whom are either Cuban immigrants or first generation Americans born to Cuban immigrants, What are they doing about it?

[Elliot Rodriguez]

Well, I would ask Carlos Jimenez, is he carrying his passport around with him? He was born in Cuba. Salazar And Diaz Bart, like me, were born in the United States of Cuban parents, as Carlos Jimenez, walking around with his passport, in case they asked him, where were you born? And he has to say, havana, Cuba.

[Billy Corben]

I think they should answer that question. I've invited them on the program. They have not accepted my invitation. And I think it's disappointing because I think they have a lot to answer for. And I think the idea that they're all trying to clean up this mess or pretending that they're cleaning up this mess now, in the aftermath of people like you putting yourself out there in a way that I think effectively represents this community better than. Than they are. And what are they doing? They're voting lockstep with the President, with this administration. They're voting to increase the funding for ICE without any concessions or without any accountability or any transparency. I don't know that they are effectively representing Americans, let alone representing a community of immigrants in America. Do you share that concern?

[Elliot Rodriguez]

Absolutely. They're hypocrites. Let's just call it what it is. I agreed to be part of this campaign that Mike Fernandez is funding because he left Cuba when he was 12 years old. And he told me that what he is seeing now in the United States reminds him exactly of what was happening in his country when he was 12 years old and he left. He said, elliot, I haven't forgotten it. And I'm seeing a repeat. And I say, mike, we're living in a dictatorship now. You can say you lived in a dictatorship. The beginning of a dictatorship in Cuba, and now we're living in one here. The last thing on earth I ever expected to do after 48 years working in journalism and retiring. And I have six daughters who are now have. Are all grown and have children. And I wanted to spend time with them. The last thing I wanted to do was being involved in any sort of campaign like this. But you know what? I couldn't stay quiet. There's no way I could stay quiet seeing what I am seeing in Minneapolis that's now not only affected immigrant. The immigrant community, it's affecting American citizens. And I think. I think it's not a time to stand by the sidelines and be quiet. It's a time to speak out. Everybody speak out. Look, the folks in Minneapolis, my hat's off to them. Now we're getting news that they're pulling out those goon squads, because that's what they are, goon squads. Nobody in the United States of America should be subjected to somebody pulling up in an unmarked car wearing a mask and Asking them for their papers. This is not Nazi Germany. It's so simple to me. I just don't understand why more people are not as outraged as I am.

[Billy Corben]

Elliot Rodriguez. So much for a quiet retirement. My apologies to your wife and six daughters. They thought you were going to be chilling on the way out the door. I want to let everyone know, like, just how embarrassing this is for those of us who live in this community of immigrants who care about our friends and neighbors and their safety and well being and their due process rights and their ability to contribute to this community and as law abiding taxpayers. This is what Republicans and influencers like Matt Walsh, for example, very prominent, very popular right wing political commentator and podcast host. This is what they think when Maria Elvira Salazar tries to pretend that she suddenly cares about immigrants and their rights.

[Elliot Rodriguez]

What do you mean by our?

[Billy Corben]

What do you mean by we, Maria?

[Elliot Rodriguez]

Okay, you're Cuban. Your greatest priority is to destroy our national sovereignty and identity. You talk about American history like it's something to be ashamed of.

[Billy Corben]

So there's no we here.

[Elliot Rodriguez]

You're not American. You clearly don't like this country or identify yourself with it.

[Billy Corben]

You want to talk about we?

[Elliot Rodriguez]

Go back to Cuba and talk about we. I mean, this is the kind, like, how dare you come here and start telling us that we aren't allowed to have a country anymore. Okay? How dare you come here and tell us that.

[Billy Corben]

Oh, you're not. No, you're.

[Elliot Rodriguez]

It's shameful.

[Billy Corben]

This.

[Elliot Rodriguez]

It's shame. You should be ashamed. How dare.

[Billy Corben]

Get the hell out.

[Elliot Rodriguez]

Seriously, standing there talking about shameful moments. I know one shameful moment in American history.

[Billy Corben]

It's when you got elected. I agree with his latter sentiment, but for the record, he wants her to go back to Cuba. She was born in Miami.