“Jimmy Kimmel Live” guest host Diego Luna on Monday called out President Donald Trump’s policies on immigration as he delivered an impassioned defense of undocumented workers.
“I have never been able to fully understand how it is that someone like Donald Trump is able to acquire this level of power,” said Luna, who is from Mexico. “I always struggle to understand how his hate speech can take root in a country whose nature has always been a welcoming one.”
Now, he said, too many are living in fear ― and are afraid to show up at work or take their kids to school.
“This is very unfair and let me tell you why,” the “Andor” star said. “The multiple times that this country has had to rebuild itself, immigrants were always there to pick up the slack.”
He said immigrant workers risked their lives to fight the fires in Los Angeles earlier this year.
“They are the ones who build this country. They feed it. They nurture and teach its children. They care for the elderly,” he said. “They work in construction, hospitality. They run kitchens. They’re technicians, merchants, athletes, drivers, farmers.”
He said undocumented workers pay almost $100 billion a year in taxes, too.
“The only solution is clear now, and it’s been clear for decades: Give them a path to legal certainty,” he said. “This is what your neighbors really deserve to be fully welcome in this country where they already belong.”
He offered viewers some ways they can support the migrant community, drawing a standing ovation from the studio audience.
Luna is filling in this week for Kimmel, who is off through Labor Day. A rotation of guest hosts will take his place over the summer.
Check out the full Monday night monologue below:
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