Photo: Moises Castillo/AP/REX/Shutterstock
Thecaravanof Central American migrants traveling up through Mexico to the U.S. southern border is continuing to stir up political controversy. PresidentDonald Trumpis once again facing accusations of racism over his response to the matter, and now some of his supporters have decided to take illegal immigration issues into their own hands.
“America cannot allow this invasion,” the voiceover exclaims. “President Trump and his allies will protect our border and keep our families safe.”
A spokesperson for NBC’s advertising sales department, Joe Benarroch, explained the decision to pull the ad in a statement to PEOPLE: “After further review, we recognize the insensitive nature of the ad and have decided to cease airing it across our properties as soon as possible.”
CNN, meanwhile, never agreed to air the ad in the first place.
AfterDonald Trump Jr. complained on Twitter that CNN “refused to run” the ad, a CNN spokespersonresponded in a tweetsaying, “CNN has made it abundantly clear in its editorial coverage that this ad is racist. When presented with an opportunity to be paid to take a version of this ad, we declined. Those are the facts.”
In addition, Facebook stopped the ad from circulating via paid promotion because it violates the social network’s “advertising policy against sensational content,” a company spokesperson said in a statement to PEOPLE. That said, the ad is still allowed to be posted, and it’s been viewed more the 300,000 timeson President Trump’s verified Facebook page.
Amid ongoing threats from Trump, thousands of migrants are continuing their journey through Mexico and toward the U.S. border, in search of a safer and more prosperous life. According toThe New YorkTimes, the migrants — who are fleeing poverty and violence in their home countries, such as Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala — travel in caravans for protection against the criminals that stalk their trip north.
On Sunday, the migrant caravan, still about 4,000 people deep, entered the city of Cordoba in the Mexican state of Veracruz after completing what was known as the “route of death,”NBC reported. On Monday, several hundred travelers hit another milestone, arriving at Mexico City,according to BBC. The fractured group is still hundreds of miles away, and it’s unclear if it will reunite or where along the U.S. it will attempt to enter.
Amid Trump’s repeated attacks on the caravan, which he has turned into an election issue, some American citizens are so concerned that they’ve banded together to try to prevent the travelers from entering — alongside themilitary presence that the president has already ordered at the border.
Moises Castillo/AP/REX/Shutterstock
One of these organizations is the Minuteman Project, which refers to itself as a “citizen’s Neighborhood Watch on the southern border,” the magazine reports.
John Moore/Getty
The Minuteman Project also encouraged forming more militia groups ina message on its homepage. “Your presence is needed everywhere along the 2,000-mile border from San Diego, California to Brownsville, Texas at any time for the next 90 days,” the statement read.
RELATED VIDEO: Hundreds of Thousands Protest President Trump’s Immigration Policies at Families Belong Together Marches
As tensions over illegal immigration reach new heights, the president is making progress with his long-standing campaign promise to build a wall dividing Mexico and the U.S.
JOHAN ORDONEZ/AFP/Getty
On Friday, CBS reported that the Texas-based construction company SLSCO received a $220 million contract to, in February, start constructing an 18-foot reinforced concrete levee wall in the Rio Grande valley, the busiest section for border crossings. SLSCO will also raise the height of existing fences.
source: people.com
