Colbert Advocates for Immigrant Pardon Bill with Senator Padilla
On Thursday, Stephen Colbert welcomed Senator Alex Padilla from California on his show, where they discussed the topic of pardoning undocumented immigrants. Colbert referred to the immigration policies under President Trump as “cruelty and cruelty.”
Senator Padilla highlighted his efforts to collaborate with fellow senators on laws aimed at providing legal status to undocumented immigrants. However, he faced resistance from Republican senators who seem more focused on border security.
“Since my first day in the Senate, I had a conversation with a Republican colleague behind closed doors. I told him I understood, ‘Alex, I’m a dreamer and I’m with you, but we need to secure the borders first,'” Padilla recounted. It’s like they acknowledge the issues but keep insisting that border control takes priority. It’s frustrating, really.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2crzm_pvf7q
Colbert expressed his hope for Padilla’s bill, known as the “Registry Update.” According to Padilla, this bill proposes that anyone who has been residing in the U.S. for over seven years should be able to register and work towards legal status, provided they meet certain criteria, like paying taxes and having no serious criminal convictions.
“I really hope you find support for this,” Colbert said, inquiring about Padilla’s thoughts on the bill’s prospects.
Padilla replied, “I’m full of hope,” which is, you know, encouraging.
Colbert then added, “It would be fantastic. I really love this country. It’s beautiful, but it’s hard to just ignore the current administration’s brutal policies. That’s why we need to change things.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gskpf7d7nfe
Meanwhile, President Trump has been running an immigration enforcement campaign, claiming to have deported nearly a million individuals and arrested numerous criminal immigrants. Recently, CNN reported a significant decline in migration to the U.S., pointing out it’s the first time in 50 years that there has been negative net migration.
According to Harry Enten of CNN, “We’re talking about a drop to 2.8 million people by 2024. It’s striking to see such a record low level during the Biden administration.”
