Jimmy Kimmel Emmys US immigration ICE joke sparks backlash

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Comments by Sanwar Ali:

There have been numerous allegations of abusive behaviour by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and Border Patrol part of CBP (Customs and Border Protection).  Further details can be found in the American Civil Liberties Union website.  The allegations include racial profiling and excessive force, and abusive behaviour towards children being held in custody by ICE.  Recently the ICE chief decided to “retire”.

Those who suffer due to abusive behaviour by ICE and CBP are more likely to be from minority groups such as those from Latino Groups, etc.  People already angered by Donald Trump’s behaviour at times which many people consider to be “racist”, means that people will be less tolerant of tasteless ICE jokes made by comedians such as Jimmy Kimmel.

American TV host, actor, comedian, writer and producer Jimmy Kimmel has been blasted for a distasteful US immigration joke at this year’s Emmy awards ceremony. Kimmel, who hosted the first virtual ceremony of the awards show, made the joke after losing out on the award for Outstanding Talk Series.

Instead the award went to British comedian, John Oliver, presenter of news satire show, Last Week Tonight. Kimmel was ‘awarded’ a participation Emmy, along with DVDs of the sitcom Young Sheldon.

On receiving the ‘award’, Kimmel quipped: “That’s way better than a stupid Emmy. Congratulations again to John Oliver, I will be reporting him to ICE tomorrow.”

Viewers horrified about ICE joke

Kimmel’s joke sparked an angry backlash from viewers, with one slamming the talk show host for his ‘white privilege.’

The viewer took to Twitter, saying: “The amount of white privilege it took for Jimmy Kimmel to get up on stage at a nationally televised event and make a joke about ICE and have no one tell him that that isn’t okay, is absolutely astonishing to me.”

Another viewer tweeted: “Jimmy Kimmel making an ICE joke in this political climate??? Yeah, he did not think this through.”

“Why did Jimmy Kimmel make that horrendous ICE joke?”, another Twitter user wrote.

Several other viewers made their views known on Kimmel’s joke via Twitter, including celebrity interviewer and journalist, E Alex Jung, who tweeted: “God that Jimmy Kimmel ICE joke,” – the tweet included several vomit emojis.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Netflix documentary

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is currently at the center of a documentary being streamed by Netflix, which reportedly depicts the cruelty and unfair treatment of ICE agents toward immigrants. Meanwhile, the agency is caught up in a number of controversies over its treatment of immigrants.

In particular, ICE and the poor conditions of US immigration detention centers have faced severe scrutiny under the Trump administration. Protesters have called for ICE to be abolished. In New York recently, police arrested more than 80 people at abolish ICE protests in the metropolis.

Detention center hysterectomies

Details of illegal hysterectomies at a Georgia US immigration detention center sparked nationwide protests in recent days. More than 300 people gathered in Times Square on September 19, outnumbering police 3-to-1 as trouble flared up.

Protester Isabelle Leyva told CNN that New York police had reacted violently to what had been a peaceful protest, and claimed that violence from the police at New York protests has ‘escalated.’

She said: “The jail support violence is really concerning because jail support is not a protest. There were probably 30 of us there sitting on a public sidewalk. So them getting violent and arresting people at jail support is a real attempt to undermine the movement.”

A video shown to CNN by Leyva, but not verified by the news channel, shows protestors seated in Times Square while police attempt to handcuff them. Some were led away.

A loudspeaker announcement in the background repeated: “You are unlawfully in the roadway and obstructing vehicular traffic. You are ordered to leave the roadway and utilize the available sidewalk.”

ICE also recently came under fire for deporting a key witness amid allegations of sexual harassment and assault against ICE agents.

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