John Oliver didn’t hold back in his criticism of the Trump administration’s deportation policies on his show Last Week Tonight. He described the actions as “usually blatantly racist and always cruel.”
Oliver focused on the administration’s social media posts, including a video on the official Instagram account showing shackled individuals being led onto a plane, set to the song “Closing Time” by Semisonic. He argued that the administration prioritized “speed, volume, and spectacle” over targeting violent criminals as they claimed.
The host referenced a CBS 60 Minutes investigation that found the majority of 238 migrants sent to a Salvadorian prison had no criminal records. One individual was wrongfully deported due to an “administrative error,” despite having a court order protecting him from deportation. Oliver also mentioned an interview President Trump gave to ABC News, in which Trump claimed that superimposed text in a photo of a migrant’s hand was an actual tattoo indicating gang affiliation.
The host dismissed the claim as absurd.
Oliver criticizes deportation policies
The deportation campaign, according to Oliver, has led to heartbreaking stories.
For example, the administration reversed the legal status of Suguru Onda, a PhD student at Brigham Young University, for minor infractions like speeding tickets and fishing violations. “If you can be flagged for deportation for catching one too many fish, then I truly fear for Henry Winkler,” Oliver joked. Despite occasional reversals, Oliver emphasized the cruelty of these deportations.
He pointed to cases like a child deported to Honduras without medication for stage four cancer. Oliver called for public pressure on elected officials to combat these issues. He encouraged viewers to contact their representatives and demand action, asserting the critical need for a significant public outcry.
“All people are worthy of safety, protection, and due process,” he concluded, urging viewers to remind their leaders of these fundamental values.
