A Mexican-American radio host has sparked a heated online debate after drawing parallels between Latino children targeted by ICE and Jewish children during the Holocaust.
Maria Hinojosa made the comments while appearing on MSNBC’s The Weekend, igniting criticism from social media users who said her comparison was inappropriate.
Hinojosa Shares Personal Perspective
Hinojosa, founder of Futuro Media and anchor of Latino USA, discussed the psychological impact of immigration enforcement on minority communities. She told co-host Eugene Daniels:
“Callousness is seen across the execution of many of the Trump administration’s policies in the United States.”
She cited a post she made on X (formerly Twitter) on September 16, in which she described seeing children like “little Anne Franks” in Chicago.
In her post, she wrote about a girl named Anita Franco, saying:
“Her name is ANITA and she is invisible. And she is Mexican.”
Hinojosa said her comparison was meant to highlight the fear and uncertainty faced by children under immigration enforcement, but many on social media were quick to push back.
Backlash on Social Media
Critics condemned the analogy, arguing that it trivialized the Holocaust.
Comments ranged from pointing out that Anne Frank faced a real threat of death to accusing Hinojosa of being “twisted” for comparing immigration arrests to Nazi persecution. One user wrote:
“Your comparison is abhorrent, comparing being sent to Mexico or whatever your home country is to the Holocaust.
Do you really feel that way about Latin America?”
Political Comparisons Stir Further Debate
Hinojosa’s comments come amid a broader trend of controversial historical comparisons in U.S. politics. Vice President JD Vance recently criticized Democrats for likening Trump supporters to Nazis, saying:
“If you want to stop political violence, stop attacking our law enforcement as the Gestapo.”
However, critics noted Vance himself had compared Trump to Hitler in private messages in 2016, though he later recanted.
Former Trump Lawyer Draws Historical Parallels
Adding to the controversy, former White House attorney Ty Cobb compared ABC’s decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel following FCC pressure to media censorship under Nazi Germany.
Cobb cited examples of Hitler’s minister of propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, removing comedians from the airwaves for criticizing the government.
He also drew parallels with Vladimir Putin’s early 2000s crackdown on independent media in Russia.
Cobb warned that Trump and his allies were undermining constitutional freedoms, arguing:
“Trump is waging war on people who offend him. He’s all about vengeance.”
ICE Enforcement and Public Concerns
The Trump administration has also faced criticism for ICE raids that affected not only undocumented immigrants but also U.S. citizens and legal residents.
Fears intensified after the Supreme Court allowed immigration agents to make arrests based on factors like skin color or language spoken.
Video footage of masked ICE agents performing raids fueled concerns over excessive force and racial profiling, raising questions about enforcement practices and public safety.