Open television in Mexico has begun airing ads in which the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, warns that criminals will be deported and will never be able to return to the United States. The ad has been airing on Televisa's Canal de las Estrellas since at least April 3.
Ernesto Villanueva, a researcher at UNAM and expert in digital rights, has expressed his concern about this ad, stating that it undermines dignity, promotes discrimination, creates stereotypes, and victimizes certain groups. Villanueva argues that this type of content is incompatible with the Mexican legal framework, especially with Article 1 of the Constitution, which mandates the protection of human rights.
Additionally, Villanueva mentions that the Federal Telecommunications and Broadcasting Law expressly prohibits discriminatory content. The academic emphasizes that the advertising campaign led by Noem is part of a multimillion-dollar strategy with national and international reach.
"You are not welcome. There is a generation of a stereotype of what they consider a person with tendencies to be criminal," warns Noem in the ad, criticizing the previous Joe Biden Administration for allowing criminals to enter the United States. The spot shows images of people of Latin American origin.
For its part, Article 245 states that advertising should not promote discrimination in any sense. This ad, according to critics, stigmatizes migrants and the Mexican population of humble origins or with darker skin.
