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Image courtesy of Mijente
Mijente, a national Latino organizing group focused on immigrant rights and political empowerment, is escalating its “Apaga el odio” campaign against Univision and Telemundo by launching a national Week of Action that started this past weekend.
The activities planned in several cities are intended to pressure the country’s largest Spanish-language networks to pull ads funded by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The ads have faced sharp criticism from immigrant-rights organizations, who argue that the messaging fuels fear among immigrant households and promotes self-deportation.
This piece follows my earlier reporting for Pressing Issues. In that story, Univision — whose official company name is TelevisaUnivision — and Telemundo issued statements defending their ad-review processes and stating that the DHS-funded ads met their broadcast standards.
“TelevisaUnivision applies a uniform set of advertising standards across all of our media platforms. These standards evaluate legal compliance, factual accuracy, and appropriate disclosure, and they apply equally to all advertisers, including government agencies,” the TelevisaUnivision statement read. “Our News Division is run independently and not influenced in any way by any advertising on our networks or platforms. Noticias Univision remains fully committed to providing thorough, responsible, and ongoing coverage of the issues that matter most to our audience.”
“As with all broadcasters and media platforms, we receive advertisements from a wide range of private and public sector organizations. Every ad we receive is subject to the same standards and guidelines, independent of source, issue, or position. In this case, the ads in question met the necessary standards to air,” a Telemundo spokesperson said.
Following those responses, Mijente issued a new statement to Pressing Issues on November 26, saying the networks’ explanation fails to address the real-world consequences of airing such ads: “If airing DHS-funded ads built on fear, vague warnings, and no verifiable information, the advertising standards of Univision and Telemundo are failing our communities. By choosing to broadcast government propaganda, Univision and Telemundo are undermining the very principles they claim guide their work. If these are the kinds of ads they are willing to air, then their standards need serious review because no responsible network should help spread fear and propaganda in the communities that rely on them.”
According to Mijente, over 5,000 people have now signed a petition calling for both networks to stop airing DHS-funded ads. The campaign has experienced several viral moments on social media, and organizers said support is now expanding to include in-person demonstrations.
Organizers said the National Week of Action will include rallies, community events, art builds, and coordinated social-media efforts in major cities, with more locations expected to join as the week unfolds. The first gathering took place in Los Angeles on December 6, where participants met in Elysian Park to create posters and artwork. The actions officially begin Monday, December 8, with a rally outside Univision’s Los Angeles headquarters, where organizers say they’ll show up “with our friends, our families, and our courage” to call attention to how these ads impact immigrant communities.
Later in the week, additional actions include:
Miami: Wednesday, December 10, where organizers are encouraging holiday-themed costumes and signs
Orlando: Friday, December 12, with supporters invited to bring “inflatable costumes and holiday creativity”
New York City: Saturday, December 13, outside Univision’s East Coast headquarters on Third Avenue
Organizers have also circulated links to a WhatsApp group where people can connect to local volunteers and receive real-time updates throughout the week. Social-media posts tied to the campaign urge audiences to keep tagging the networks, sign the petition, and share videos of community members calling out the ads.
Mijente says the goal is to make visible that the objection to the ads is not limited to online petitions, but is taking shape in streets and community spaces across the country. The group argues that the trust these networks have built with Latino audiences over decades is undermined when ads that create fear are placed alongside news programming aimed at the same communities.
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