Diego Luna, who intervened for Jimmy Kimmel as guest host of the episode on Monday evening Jimmy Kimmel Live!took some time from his opening monologue to slam Trump and his aggressive immigration policies.
“Tonight, I want to solve an important problem that is happening here in Los Angeles and everywhere in the United States,” he started, speaking passionately about the issue. “With everything that happens in this country around immigration and authoritarian policies of Donald Trump, it is not a little thing that a Mexican organizes such an important show. It is a big problem and I really hope not to fuck it.”
Luna spoke of the community he built in Los Angeles after the first time in the United States at 20, after the success of the 2001 film And your mom tooSharing personal stories of his time in the city of angels over the years.
“The people who raised me were mainly people who had left their country to find a new life, or the sons and daughters of immigrants who had come here in order to work and build a healthy, pleasant and dignified life, far from their place of origin,” said the Mexican-director actor. “A movement of this scale is not natural, not less than something is very, very pain where you come. No one leaves their land if it is not because their survival depends on it. No one leaves their past behind, just for pleasure. But you know what? All the people I met share a unimportant gratitude to this country, a country that has opened its doors.”
Luna then underlined how “interesting and admirable” is “interesting and admirable, because of cultural exchange, thanks to the generosity and the opening that left it, all because people of different cultures and realities have agreed to give themselves a chance and to build something remarkable together.
THE Andor Star continued: “I could never fully understand how someone like Donald Trump is able to acquire this level of power. I always find it difficult to understand how his hate speech can take root in a country whose nature has always been welcoming. ”
Luna stressed that “too many people live in fear” and “feel persecuted” at the moment in the president’s immigration policies. Since Trump returned to the White House earlier this year, his administration favored the reduction of alleged immigration violations, increasing ice raids across the country, including in Los Angeles, this has led to national demonstrations.
In response to demonstrations, especially in Los Angeles, Trump deployed the California National Guard in the city. However, California Governor Gavin Newsom postponed the “illegal deployment of the troops” from his administration “. Although a Federal Court of Appeal ruled in favor of Trump, saying that he “probably” had the right to activate custody, Newsom’s legal battle against Trump continues.
“It is very unfair and let me tell you why: on several occasions that this country must have rebuilt, immigrants were still there to take over,” said Luna in her opening monologue. “Earlier this year, when burned it, immigrant workers risked their lives to stop the flames. They are the ones who build this country, they nourish it, they nourish and teach their children, they care about the elderly, they work in construction, hospitality, they manage kitchens. They are technicians, merchants, athletes, drivers, farmers. ”
“They pay a lot of taxes, many of them, with their jobs, their papers or undocumented,” he added. “In 2022, undocumented immigrants contributed around $ 96.7 billion in taxes. But this is something that the Trump administration does not want you to know.”
“There are a lot of lies that fly on immigrants, but I’m sure you have more than one story that can attest to the contrary. Talk to it, share it. It helps. Today, they need to know that they are not alone,” said Luna. “These were a few dark weeks. It is not acceptable and it is not normal to separate families. Violence and terror are not ok. Immigrants should know that their struggle also belongs to you. ”
