Comedian and former late-night host Conan O'Brien criticized the Trump administration's recent immigration raids in Los Angeles, highlighting the essential role of immigrant communities in the city's daily life.
Speaking on his podcast Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend with guest Diego Luna, O'Brien condemned the mass deportation efforts, saying: "If you're paying attention, you understand that it feels like 80 percent of what's getting done here to sustain our lives and our culture and our community is coming from south of the border." "They're doing all the work," he added.
O'Brien went on to describe immigrants from Mexico, Central, and South America as the backbone of Los Angeles. "They are the community in Los Angeles," he said. "Everybody I work with, everybody who helps me or my family — in every way, every day — is from Mexico or Central or South America."
The podcast conversation also looked at O'Brien and Luna's 2017 collaboration in Mexico City, which took place early in Trump's first term and mocked his proposal for a Mexico-funded border wall. "Many of us thought we were moving past that to maybe a better future," O'Brien said. "Here we are again."
Luna echoed O'Brien's concerns:
"I can't imagine how it is," he added. "You dedicate your life, work to build something and then suddenly they tell you they're going to take that away from you instantly just because. It's quite scary."
The podcast discussion follows weeks of ICE raids in Los Angeles, part of a broader federal crackdown ordered by President Trump, who has pledged to carry out "the largest deportation in the history of our country."
Thousands of National Guard troops and Marines were deployed to cities including Los Angeles. The move triggered widespread protests and a legal challenge from California Governor Gavin Newsom, who called the deployment "an assault on democracy."
Speaking to the press at Mexico City International Airport on June 20, Luna described the moment as "very dark" and "full of fear for so many people; it's important that they know they are not alone, that we stay informed, that we remain alert."
He also called the events "a very important moment" and emphasized how severe the situation is unfolding "at the national level" in the United States. He also highlighted recent solidarity demonstrations and society's response, describing it as "very nice to see that response" in support of those affected by the raids.
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