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Mexican President Claudia Shainbaum is pushing lawmakers to quickly ban advertising by foreign governments after the Trump administration launched a television spot where “unlawful” immigrants were threatened.
The ad says U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Christy Norm tells immigrants:
It was first released as part of a $200 million immigration campaign and aired in Mexico during a football game last weekend. The ad shows people are rounded up by authorities, running across the border, clearly dealing with drugs.
Sinbaum responded vigorously this week to the ads, calling them “discriminatory” and asking them to be defeated.
She sent a bill to the Mexican Senate to stop foreign government promotion on radio and television, except for cultural or tourism promotion. The Senator will discuss the committee’s law on Thursday and will pass it on Monday, when the bill will move into the House.
“Foreign governments should not spread publicity in our country, whether political, ideological or anything like that,” said Shanebaum, who has previously worked so hard to welcome US President Donald Trump.
The ad was displayed on Primetime Mexico television by Grupo Televisa, the country’s largest broadcaster.
Mexicans have gathered mostly around Sinbaum since Trump began threatening the country with measures against tariffs and drug cartels. Her popularity has risen by more than 80%. Her party Morena coalition has a dominant majority in Congress, with opposition lawmakers also denounce Trump’s ads.
The proposed law also includes separate changes to introduce heavy fines for media companies that break the rules and cement Simbaum’s efforts to dismantle and replace Mexican telecom regulators.
In particular, TV Sa is captured between the Mexican government that allows local concessions and the US, which owns Univision, the largest Spanish language broadcaster. Although he once vehemently criticized Trump, the network was seen as softening his reporting during last year’s presidential campaign.
Televisa did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said the advertising campaign was “working.” “The data shows that the world is listening to our message,” the statement said.
Since Trump took office, the number of immigrants arrested at the border has reached a low level in decades. Mexican politicians respect immigrants in their official statements, but authorities have significantly increased detention and increased bus roads for migrants sending further south.
TV Azteca, Mexico’s second-largest broadcaster, said in a statement it had “rejected” requests to air the ads.
The National Council for the Prevention of Discrimination in the State said the advertisement was a “humiliation against human dignity” that violated the constitution and called for it to be defeated.
