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OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
A new film about a former Department of Homeland Security agent who left his job to rescue children from traffickers that was widely panned by left-wing media outlets is doing surprisingly well despite the criticism.
The film, “Sound of Freedom,” starring self-professed Christian actor Jim Caviezel, continues to surge in terms of attendance weeks after its initial opening, according to Celluloid Junkie. Released by Angel Studios, the crowdfunded film grossed more than $20 million on its third weekend after release, the outlet reported, which is higher than its debut weekend.
“Angel Studios is projecting nearly $125 million total cumulative box office revenue through Sunday,” the report said.
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WND News Service notes: “The movie has stunned the movie industry, and the nation, for its popularity. It beat out a new ‘Indiana Jones’ movie when it opened. It tells the real-life story of former Homeland Security agent, Tim Ballard, played by Jim Caviezel, who fights child trafficking.”
“‘Sound of Freedom’ is continuing its unbelievable ride,” said Brandon Purdie, Head of Theatrical Distribution at Angel Studios, Celluloid Junkie noted further. “Word continues to spread, and crowds are continuing to show up, which is how this film ended up doing more business in its third weekend than its first.
“As we begin to look toward the international box office, Angel Studios intends to continue to push here at home. We want every American to see this landmark film,” he added.
The film has managed to do well despite several left-leaning media outlets attacking it for some bizarre reason.
“The film itself is extremely loosely based on the work of Tim Ballard, a high-profile anti-trafficking organization founder who has made dubious claims of his own,” the UK-based Guardian reported earlier this month. “Within days of its release, Sound of Freedom was claimed by the right wing, including some noted conspiracy theorists and Donald Trump.”
“Sound of Freedom has been a national sensation and a colossal success at the box office, really big numbers, everyone should see it,” Trump noted in an email to supporters.
“This is a very important film and very important movie and it’s a very important documentary all wrapped up in one. It’s really about an issue that has to be discussed.”
In an interview with Fox News to discuss the film — which, again, is about rescuing children who are being trafficked, some of them into the United States, thanks to President Joe Biden’s lax immigration and border policies, critics say — Caviezel called Trump “the new Moses.”
In May, a report surfaced that led critics of Biden’s border policies to accuse him of making child trafficking worse.
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According to a memo obtained by Just The News, the Biden administration plans to discontinue the practice of familial DNA testing at the US-Mexico border, which experts say played a crucial role in deterring fraudulent entry of undocumented immigrants and combating child trafficking.
The implementation of DNA testing was initially introduced during former President Donald Trump’s administration and was utilized by Customs and Border Protection. It came as a response to a court order concerning the separation of migrant children from their families and evidence suggesting that drug cartels were exploiting children to establish false family units and facilitate the illegal entry of immigrants across the border.
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However, a CBP memo sent to frontline border agents announced the testing would cease when its vendor contract expires at the end of May, Just the News reported.
In 2022, a report from the Government Accountability Office revealed that as many as 1 in 10 children tested were discovered not to be biologically related to the undocumented individuals they were crossing the border with.
DNA testing has been used for decades to establish family relationships between applicants, but it was not until 2019 that the Trump administration began to expand its use.
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