WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 (UPI) -- The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has removed an ad from its Web site after Hispanic groups complained it equated illegal immigrants with terrorists.
The pulled ad, which criticized the Bush administration's national security policies, juxtaposed images of illegal immigrants scaling a fence on the Mexican border with images of Osama bin Laden and North Korean President Kim Jong-il, The Washington Times reported Thursday.
"Equating these undocumented migrants to the very real threats of terrorism is inexcusable and only serves to fan the flames of anti-immigrant sentiment in our country," said Pedro Celis, chairman of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly.
DSCC spokesman Phil Singer said the Republican National Hispanic Assembly was "trying to gloss over the White House's abysmal record on security."
But criticism for the ad also came from Democrats.
"To liken Latino immigrants to bazooka-toting terrorists not only undermines the positive relationship our party has with this community, but it also lowers us to a despicable level as breeders of unfounded fear and hatred," Democratic Houston City Council member Carol Alvarado said in a letter to DSCC head Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.
