Mexican President Criticizes U.S. Ads Blaming Migrants for Crime

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has reacted strongly to anti-migrant advertisements featuring U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. She deemed the ads discriminatory and announced plans to request a congressional ban on foreign political propaganda in Mexico, marking a significant stand against the Trump administration's narrative linking migrants to crime and violence.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has voiced strong opposition to recent advertisements aired on Mexican television featuring U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. These ads, which run during significant television times like soccer matches, accuse migrants of contributing to violent crime and drug trafficking in America, with Noem warning, “We will hunt you down.”

Sheinbaum, responding to the provocative nature of Noem's messages, labeled the advertisements “discriminatory” in a press conference. She then urged Mexican broadcasters to take these ads off the air and announced her intention to seek legal measures to prohibit such foreign governmental political propaganda in Mexico. “We are going to change the law to prohibit foreign governments from carrying out political and ideological propaganda in our country,” Sheinbaum asserted.

This backlash from Sheinbaum reflects the escalating tensions between her government and the Trump administration. Although she has been accommodating to U.S. demands to mitigate the impacts of tariffs affecting Mexico’s export-driven economy, the airing of these controversial ads has prompted a decisive line in the sand. The push by Sheinbaum may signal a shift in Mexico's diplomatic stance as it grapples with the implications of U.S. policies and threats, including potential military actions against drug cartels within its borders.