WHARTON COUNTY — A Facebook page representing the Wharton County Republican Party shared an AI-generated image calling for the deportation of all Muslims, communists and undocumented immigrants, raising questions about the message being shared by a local political organization.
The image, shared Thursday, October 8, was originally posted by Facebook user Brandon Wilkinson. It depicts a fictional billboard with the words “How to Make America Great Again,” followed by a call to deport Muslims, communists and people described as “illegals.”
The billboard is AI-generated, not an actual billboard erected in Wharton County. The image was subsequently shared by the Facebook page bearing the local Republican Party’s name.
While immigration enforcement remains a major political issue, the reference to Muslims raises a separate question. Islam is a religion, not an immigration status, and being Muslim alone is not grounds for deportation under U.S. law.
Muslims can be American citizens, permanent residents or individuals with other immigration statuses. The image makes no distinction between those groups, instead calling for the deportation of all Muslims.
Wharton County Democratic chairman responds
Wharton Post contacted local political leaders on Friday, October 9, seeking comment about the image, particularly its call to deport people because of their religion.
Wharton County Democratic Party Chairman Jeffrey Dixon responded Friday night, saying Democrats oppose deporting Muslims solely because of their religious beliefs.
“As a group and as a party, Democrats don’t support deportation of Muslims because they are Muslim,” Dixon told Wharton Post.
Dixon also pointed to the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which protects religious freedom.
He said Democrats believe in the constitutional protections allowing people to practice their religion without government interference.
Dixon emphasized that Islam is a religion and discussed the different ways religious teachings can be interpreted.
Drawing from his experience as a minister, Dixon shared something he previously wrote in a local newspaper: “You can find something in the bible to justify almost anything.”
Dixon is identified as the county’s Democratic Party chairman on the official Wharton County elections website.
Republican chairman contacted about Facebook post
Wharton Post contacted Wharton County Republican Party Chairman Domingo Montalvo Jr. on Friday, October 9, asking why the local party’s Facebook page shared the AI-generated image.
The inquiry specifically asked whether the Wharton County Republican Party supports deporting people based on their religious beliefs and whether the message represents the party’s official position.
Montalvo had not responded as of Friday night.
Montalvo is identified as the Republican Party’s county chairman on the official Wharton County website.
It remains unclear who shared Wilkinson’s image through the Facebook page or whether Montalvo or other local party officials approved the post.
Why the post matters in Wharton County
Although the billboard shown in the image is fictional, its appearance on a page representing the Wharton County Republican Party has brought the message into local politics.
The image calls for the deportation of Muslims without distinguishing between U.S. citizens, legal residents and undocumented immigrants.
There is no established connection between the image and any proposed government action in Wharton County. The Facebook share also does not establish that county Republican officials have proposed deporting Muslim residents.
Under federal immigration law, certain noncitizens may be removed from the United States under specific legal circumstances. A person’s Muslim faith alone, however, does not provide a legal basis for deportation.
The image also refers to communists. Federal immigration law contains certain restrictions involving membership in communist or other totalitarian political parties, but those provisions include exceptions and do not make everyone holding communist beliefs automatically subject to deportation.
The unanswered question is whether the image reflects the Wharton County Republican Party’s official position or was shared independently by someone managing its Facebook page.
Wharton Post will update this report if Republican Party leadership provides a response or additional information becomes available.
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