Kay Ivey commercial No way, Jose

Governor Kay Ivey's latest campaign ad criticizing the Biden administration's immigration policy has caught the attention of the media and national Democrats.

In the 30-second spot, Ivey touts her efforts to push back against Biden's policies and said if faced with the possibility of having to learn Spanish because of lax border security, she says, "No way, Jose."

During an appearance on MSNBC on Sunday, U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (R-Calif.) rejected the Ivey campaign commercial and declared it "plain racist ignorance."

"It is absolutely shameful that in this day and age, that we have people who think like that...who have access to the resources to purchase the kind of ads to just literally spill that kind of mess across our screens." @RepMaxineWaters on Alabama Gov.'s campaign ad #SundayShow pic.twitter.com/VSrbQMRJ3z
— The Sunday Show with Jonathan Capehart (@TheSundayShow) April 17, 2022

"Let me just say this: this is plain racist ignorance, in your face," said Waters. "So when you talk about responding, it’s more like ignoring and keeping up the fight against racism and discrimination and making sure that we do everything that we can to get those who are elected out of office, elect progressive people.

"We don’t have time to deal with that kind of stupidity and that kind of ignorance. So it is absolutely shameful that in this day and age that we have people who think like that, who speak like that and who have access to the resources to purchase the kind of ads to just literally spill that kind of mess across our screens."

Tuesday, the reelection campaign of Gov. Kay Ivey released a television advertisement taking aim at President Joe Biden over his administration’s immigration policies.

The 30-second spot, titled “No Way Jose,” features Ivey suggesting that American citizens would soon be forced to learn Spanish due to the Biden administration “shipping” illegal aliens into U.S. communities. The ad also sees Ivey tout her administration’s efforts to combat illegal immigration.

“I’m Kay Ivey. If Joe Biden keeps shipping illegal immigrants into our states, we’re all going to have to learn Spanish,” says Ivey in the ad. “My message to Biden: No way, Jose. That’s why I sent National Guard troops to protect the southern border. And that’s why we banned sanctuary cities in Alabama. The left can try to cancel me — I don’t care. But here in Alabama, we’re going to enforce the law.”

Watch:

In a statement announcing the ad release, Ivey campaign manager William Califf hailed the governor as being a “rock-solid conservative” for her administration’s actions to combat the Biden administration.

“Governor Ivey recognizes that a country without borders isn’t a country at all, that’s why she has made stopping illegal immigration a top priority,” proclaimed Califf. “Illegal immigration is at an all-time high thanks to the Biden Administration’s weak border policies – resulting in record numbers of illegal immigrants and deadly drugs flooding across the border into our communities. Kay Ivey has been a rock-solid conservative governor, fighting back against Joe Biden and his liberal policies every day — no one fights harder for Alabama.”

Gov. Kay Ivey on Monday lamented the idea that Americans would be forced to learn Spanish if President Biden keeps "shipping illegal immigrants" in the country.

"If Joe Biden keeps shipping illegal immigrants into our states, we're all going to have to learn Spanish," Ivey said in a new 30-second ad spot released this week. "My message to Biden: no way, José."

"That's why I sent national guard troops to protect the Southern border. That's why we banned sanctuary cities in Alabama. The left can try to cancel me, I don't care. But here in Alabama, we're going to enforce the law," the conservative governor added.

Ivey, first elected in 2017, is seeking re-election in 2022. According to Alabama Political Reporter, the election is hers to win. The ad comes just six weeks before the state's primary.

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Ivey Campaign Manager William Califf told a CBS affiliate that Ivey "recognizes that a country without borders isn't a country at all."

"Illegal immigration is at an all-time high thanks to the Biden Administration's weak border policies – resulting in record numbers of illegal immigrants and deadly drugs flooding across the border into our communities," Califf added.

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The ad has drawn criticism.

"If Ivey gets any more racist than her latest ad," Alabama columnist Kyle Whitmire wrote this week, "she's going to need another can of shoe polish."

Carlos Aleman, CEO of the Hispanic Intrest Coalition of Alabama says that Ivey's ad alienates the very voters she is attempting to reach.

"I don't think these types of attacks are successful," Aleman told local NBC affiliate WVTM. "We should be creating a more inclusive that is more welcoming."

Ivey first deployed National Guard troops to the southern border in 2018 at the request of Donald Trump. Last January, the Alabama governor renewed that commitment at the request of the chief of the National Guard Bureau, sending a 750-troop battalion to the border.

Who is Kay Ivey married to?

Her first marriage was to Ben LaRavia; they became engaged while studying at Auburn University. In 2019, Ivey was diagnosed with lung cancer. She received an outpatient treatment at the University of Alabama at Birmingham on September 20, 2019.