Donald Trump Mexican Immigrant Comment Scandal: Univsion Parts Ways, J Balvin Cancels Miss USA Performance

Donald Trump’s Mexican immigrant comments aren’t making him any friends in the Latino community. Though Trump recently claimed that Latinos love him, Univision has pulled out of broadcasting The Miss USA Pageant. Multiple media outlets are reporting that Trump’s statements in his presidential announcement speech that Mexicans were bringing thieves and rapists into the U.S. was the basis for their decision.

“At Univision, we see first-hand the work ethic, love for family, strong religious values, and the important role Mexican immigrants and Mexican-Americans have had and will continue to have in building the future of our country,” Univision said in a statement, the Hollywood Reporter reports.

Univision maintains that despite its issues with Trump, they will still cover the 2016 presidential campaigns despite the fact that The Donald is running for president.

Donald Trump vs J Balvin

Univision’s Donald Trump split comes on the heels of news that Latin sensation J. Balvin cancelled his performance at the Miss USA Pageant because of Trump’s statement.

“It was going to be my first performance on national [mainstream] television,” Balvin told Billboard exclusively on Wednesday. “But we’re talking about our roots, our culture, our values… This isn’t about being punitive, but about showing leadership through social responsibility. His comments weren’t just about Mexicans, but about all Latins in general.”

The Miss USA pageant is run by the Miss Universe Organization, which is jointly owned by Donald Trump and NBCUniversal.

Trump, in his June 16 speech, said that the United States is becoming “a dumping ground for everybody else’s problems.”

“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people,” Trump said.

Though most of the backlash has been about his comments about Mexicans, Trump actually targeted all Latinos and immigrants in general in his speech. In fact, he added, that these “problems” are “coming from all over South and Latin America, and it’s coming probably, probably, from the Middle East.”

Columbian-born Balvin said he only realized Trump’s connection to the Miss USA Pageant when a friend pointed it out to him. That’s when the “Ella Me Cautivo” singer realized that he had to take action to demonstrate his disgust with his statements.

“Mexico is a Latin powerhouse,” said Balvin. “And Mexicans, they’re known as hard workers. Here in the U.S., not everybody wants to do those kinds of jobs. I’ve lived. I know what it feels like and what they go through and how families suffer. A comment like that is powerful.”

Donald Trump and the Miss USA Pageant have so far not made any comments on Univision and J. Balvin’s decisions to part ways.