Radio host links Latino children's fear to Anne Frank analogy amid ICE enforcement

A Chicago-focused segment on MSNBC's The Weekend sparked attention after Maria Hinojosa, a Mexican-American journalist and founder of Futuro Media, compared Latino children in the United States to Jewish children during the Holocaust, saying some fear abduction and death like Anne Frank. She told viewers, "There are little Anne Franks, right? Anne Frank, in Chicago, her name is Anita Franco, and she is terrified."

During the discussion, co-host Eugene Daniels pressed Hinojosa about the psychological toll of seeing people who look like them be treated with 'callousness' by the federal government, its agents, and armed officers as they move through cities. "What does it do to the psyche of a person to watch themselves be – and the people that look like them — be treated with such callousness by the federal government, the agents of the state, and people that have guns and other arms as they are running through their cities?"

Hinojosa described growing up in Chicago and said Black and Latino unity would grow, warning that Trump and the Republican Party fear that unity. "I grew up in the city of Chicago," she said, adding, "the South Side of Chicago is my home." She argued that unity between Black and Latino communities would strengthen in the city, saying, "Black and Latino unity in the city of Chicago will only grow thanks to Donald Trump and his Republican Party." She also linked this vision to broader issues of trauma within the Latino community, noting how narratives of outsiders influence local governance and trust.

"Chicago is a city of neighborhoods, and we do not like outsiders coming to tell us how to run our city," she added, reflecting on the long-standing strains and the historical trauma faced by immigrant communities. She reiterated the Anne Frank comparison in the Chicago context, underscoring the fear she described among Latino families. "Anne Frank, in Chicago, her name is Anita Franco, and she is terrified."

On X, Hinojosa later expanded on her remarks, saying, "I wake up in Chi after a day of witnessing a community under siege," and highlighting the persistent fear she sees among residents of Mexican heritage. She described Anita as invisible in conversations about safety and policy, emphasizing the human toll of enforcement actions.

The notes accompanying the report also reference President Donald Trump’s administration and its deportation agenda, describing efforts to remove illegal immigrants, particularly those with criminal offenses, as a central campaign promise that has drawn sharp criticism from immigrant-rights advocates. In addition, the piece notes that some ICE agents have worn masks to shield themselves from harassment and doxxing by activists who draw comparisons between enforcement officers and Nazi-era enforcers. The discussion frames these actions within a broader national debate about immigration enforcement, civil rights, and the psychological impact on communities of color.

The remarks reflect a broader, ongoing national conversation about immigration policy and its social and political implications. While Hinojosa’s comments drew intense reaction, the exchange on MSNBC’s weekend program illustrates how immigrants, civil rights advocates, and political commentators continue to grapple with questions of safety, belonging, and the role of government in policing communities across major U.S. cities.