US restaurant removing billboards referencing US-Mexico wall

An Indiana restaurant chain is removing billboards referencing a proposed border wall between the US and Mexico.

Hacienda Mexican Restaurants is said it will pull down billboards that reference a border wall proposed by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. (WSBT)

Referring to a campaign promise by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, Hacienda Mexican Restaurant’s signs proclaimed it has “The Best Mexican Food This Side Of The Wall.”

Hacienda executive vice president Jeff Leslie says he didn’t expect the backlash from the Hispanic community.

Sam Centellas is executive director of La Casa de Amistad community center in South Bend. He says the billboards are offensive because “wall” has taken on a political connotation.

Leslie says the message touting his company’s 20 Indiana restaurants – including Warsaw, Goshen, Elkhart and Plymouth – has been overshadowed by the controversy. He says the 26 billboards should be down by Friday.