Univision breaks with Donald Trump over immigration comments

MIAMI – Univision, the United States’ top Spanish-language TV network, severed its ties Thursday with Donald Trump’s Miss Universe Organization over the presidential hopeful’s nasty comments about Mexican immigrants.

In announcing his run for president on Tuesday in a rambling 45-minute speech, Trump said, “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best.”

He added: “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.”

Joining the uproar over those remarks, Univision said it will not broadcast the Miss USA beauty pageant scheduled for July 12 or any other project associated with Trump.

“Today, the entertainment division of Univision Communications Inc. announced that it is ending the company’s business relationship with the Miss Universe Organization, which is part-owned by Donald J. Trump, based on his recent, insulting remarks about Mexican immigrants,” the company said.

Trump had announced in January that the broadcast rights to Miss Universe and Miss USA had been granted to Univision. That came right after the latest edition of Miss Universe, held in Doral, Florida.

Until then, the rights had been held by Telemundo, another Spanish-language network.

Trump’s comments triggered criticism both in the United States and Mexico. Mexican Interior Minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong called them “prejudiced and absurd.”

“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.

Watch Trump’s speech here: