Diego Luna, who stepped in for Jimmy Kimmel as guest host of Monday night’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, took some time out of his opening monologue to slam Trump and his aggressive Immigration policies.
“Tonight, I want to address an important issue that is happening here in Los Angeles and all around the United States,” he began, speaking passionately about the matter. “With everything going on in this country around immigration and authoritarian policies of Donald Trump, it is no small thing that a Mexican is hosting such an important show. It’s a big deal and I really hope not to fuck it up.”
Luna opened up about the community he built in L.A. after first coming to the U.S. at 20 years old, following the success of the 2001 film Y tu mamá también, sharing personal stories from his time in City of Angels over the years.
“The people that lifted me up were mostly people that had left their countries to find a new life, or the sons and daughters of immigrants that had come here in order to work and build a healthy, enjoyable and dignified life, away from their place of origin,” the Mexican actor-director said. “A movement of that scale, that’s not natural, not unless something is very, very wrong in the place you are coming from. Nobody leaves their land if it’s not because their survival depends on it. Nobody leaves their past behind, just for fun. But you know what? All the people that I met shared an unspoken gratitude to this country, a country that opened its doors to them.”
Luna then highlighted how “interesting and admirable” Los Angeles is “because of the cultural exchange, thanks to the generosity and the openness that surged from it, all because people from different cultures and realities agreed to give each other a chance and build something remarkable together. This place is a powerful example of what’s possible, of what can be achieved when we put empathy first.”
The Andor star continued, “I have never been able to fully understand how it is that someone like Donald Trump is able to acquire this level of power. I always struggle to understand how his hate speech can take root in a country whose nature has always been a welcoming one.”
Luna emphasized that “too many people live in fear” and “are feeling persecuted” right now amid the president’s Immigration policies. Since Trump returned to the White House earlier this year, his administration has prioritized cracking down on alleged immigration violations, increasing ICE raids across the country, including in L.A. This has led to nationwide protests.
In response to the demonstrations, specifically in L.A., Trump deployed California’s National Guard to the city. However, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has pushed back on his administration’s “unlawful deployment of troops.” Though a federal appeals court ruled in Trump’s favor, saying he “likely” did have the right to activate the guard, Newsom’s court battle against Trump continues.
“This is very unfair and let me tell you why: the multiple times that this country has had to rebuild itself, immigrants were always there to pick up the slack,” Luna said in his opening monologue. “Earlier this year, when L.A. burned, immigrant workers risked their lives to stop the flames. They are the ones who build this country, they feed it, they nurture and teach its children, they care for the elderly, they work in construction, hospitality, they run kitchens. They’re technicians, merchants, athletes, drivers, farmers.”
“They pay a lot of taxes, a LOT of them, with their jobs, papers or no papers,” he added. “In 2022, undocumented immigrants contributed around $96.7 billion worth of taxes. But that is something that the Trump administration doesn’t want you to know.”
“There are a lot of lies flying around about immigrants, but I’m sure you have more than one story that can attest to the contrary. Talk about it, share it. That helps. Today, they need to know that they’re not alone,” Luna said. “These have been a dark few weeks. It is not acceptable nor is it normal to separate families. Violence and terror are not OK. Immigrants need to know that their struggle is yours as well.”
