Family Separation: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

John Oliver discusses the disturbing policy that separated migrant families detained at our southern border, and the disturbingly real chance that it could happen again.
Connect with Last Week Tonight online...
Subscribe to the Last Week Tonight KZbin channel for more almost news as it almost happens: / lastweektonight
Find Last Week Tonight on Facebook like your mom would: / lastweektonight
Follow us on Twitter for news about jokes and jokes about news: / lastweektonight
Visit our official site for all that other stuff at once: www.hbo.com/lastweektonight

[@mrknockknock1]

Let's take a moment to appreciate how pissed John Oliver truly is about this issue. In most episodes, he slams the people behind the bad things, and makes twisted jokes, but he pretty much lost it after that kid segment, and that shows just how compassionate he is as a human being.

[@chikasnotmadjustdisappoint6266]

Yeah, I noticed that he slowly starts to get angrier and angrier as the video progresses and after that tragic kid segment he just couldn't hold himself back anymore.

[@GrayAndGrey]

Who wouldn't? Oh, wait; trumpists. What was I thinking.

[@bonzodog67lizardking15]

It's cheap posturing. John Oliver is an over-paid talking head who doesn't have to deal with the problems that come with unrestricted illegal immigrants pouring over the southern border un-vetted and with no skills. This will not inconvenience his red-carpet galas, or any other aspect of his life. He lives in New York City...he could hardly be moved geographically further from the problem and remain in the lower 48 states.

[@shadowcat1606]

@@bonzodog67lizardking15 "he's not directly affected by the problem, so him caring about the problem is probably a lie". typical, empathy-less trumpian bullshit

[@tedoyle61]

For me, this goes way beyond President Trump. It centers on how WE as a nation allow our elected officials to act in our names.

[@BIGBLUBLUR]

John was shaking after that crying kid clip. I've seen the dude mad. I've seen the dude playfully outraged. I've seen the dude scream to the top of his lungs cartoonishly. I've seen the dude, honestly, play up his role a bit much at times to drive home a point he and the crew are trying to make. But I don't think I've ever seen the dude visibly shake on camera.

[@nschwartz311]

I had to go back to that part just to watch his hands because the first time I was too focused on his voice and facial expressions but Jesus Christ yeah. You’re right his hands definitely had a tremble to them

[@wabbafet2]

[@i.b.818]

Yeah. He's angry as hell. Wow.

[@arkhadipustaka_]

I think anyone who still has heart would be trembling in anger after watching that clip.

[@randomuser5237]

BX3 And they said this administration is a blessing for comedians like Oliver because "the jokes write themselves". Nobody thinks how hard it is for a comedian to joke about things that affect lives of real people.

[@klogechris]

It’s funny how John Oliver often makes Fun of how emotionally repressed he is, because he is an englishman. If anything, this piece shows hos how He is a kind, emphatic, and passionate person.

[@g.d.graham2446]

Indeed

[@TheAmazingGuido]

His hands are trembling with rage at the end but he keeps his composure. This level of maturity paired with outrage is what the movement is about.

[@arthurmead5341]

yes so mature, destroying america from the inside out

[@TheAmazingGuido]

@@arthurmead5341 Nah, you're silly.

[@aisek3688]

@@arthurmead5341 lmao what a clown you are

[@TheNinthGenerarion]

@@arthurmead5341 how is he destroying it?

[@pauldecker4630]

For all those saying the little boy is just "throwing a tantrum" or something similar think of it like this: Do you remember your very first day of school? Your perception of time isn't great at that age, you are away from your parents, potentially for the first time ever and your surrounded by strangers you've never met before. How scared do you remember being? Now imagine that but for weeks or months. Please try to have some empathy. Most people on this earth are basicly good, please try.

[@katsunada]

Paul Decker you're right, shame on his mother for putting him in that situation.

[@Fanzindel]

katsunada right, for trying to get him a better life.

[@twosidessamestory5333]

@@katsunada Shame on you for being an unfeeling subhuman.

[@tomerpeled3633]

Fuck you man how can you evento say that

[@tomerpeled3633]

@katsunada

[@bcube1234]

16:29 i can see his tears in his eyes. Never saw John that emotionally touched ...

[@itac.2280]

Ben7 it’s understandable, he’s an immigrant who came from England and has two children, I have no doubt how heartbreaking it is for him to imagine if he came from Honduras and he was separated from them only to have them go through such heart breaking trauma when they were reunited.

[@Annubis21]

@@itac.2280 It's even more than that. He knows what the "guards" were telling that child, while they had him at their "tender mercies". "Your mother would have never brought you here, and have us do the things we have done to you, abuse you the way we do, if she actually loved you". The boy doesn't know reality anymore. It's gone, and for some people, it's forever. That's why you cry.

[@jjrod33]

Let's ignore that Obama started the program and did the same thing :) Let's just feel the feels, and ignore that these people plan to water down citizens rights by voting illegally and abuse the welfare system thinking logically is mean.

[@greydaze3]

jjrod33 You're a moron if you think family separation was happening in this manner and volume under Obama.

[@bcube1234]

@@jjrod33 wow , you really are Fox News in person.

[@jen_is_not_ok]

the kid crying about his mom not loving him literally broke my heart

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

There is a "rumor" circulating online about the video documentary, "How Family Separation Traumatizes Children" by The Atlantic. Which was obviously made more prominent by having these short clips from it being aired on this show. The "rumor" is suggesting that these short segments of the film, that was aired are insinuating that little boy, Jenri, who was crying and saying things like, "You don't love me!", "You're not my mom!", and "I want to go back to jail!" because he was "traumatized" from being separated from his mother for a month, by immigrations and customs, after being detained along with his mother, Anita, for illegally crossing the border, is not true. When in actuality, the creators conveniently and deliberately edited out the part that led up to that incident of Jenri lying on the bed and crying. The creators edited out the part that shows Jenri's mother trying to calm him down for bedtime, because he is excited about flying on a plane to South Carolina to be with his father tomorrow morning. Jenri refuses to listen, ignores her and continues to act up and even pitches a hissy fit over it. Anita then disciplines him by spanking him with a belt. That's why Jenri was crying and saying those things. Because he was disciplined by his mother for not listening to her. Not because he was "traumatized" for being separated from his mother for a month. Furthermore, the documentary also leaves out the fact that Jenri suffers from Rickets and that he actually misses being at the detention facility because he got to eat three meals a day with friends that he made while being there. If this is true, then this isn't journalism. The only way to confirm this is to get a hold of the unedited footage. And what a story this would make too. Especially when immigration is a such a hot topic right now. Can't confirm or deny this. The only way is to get in touch with The Atlantic, a very democratic leftwing leaning news organization, who sponsored the documentary. So far no response back.....

[@alphawolf7417]

@@_BenJaminCroft_ just stop

[@electr_icity4613]

@@_BenJaminCroft_ Where does this originate from? Your repetitious use of quotation marks implies that it's true, yet you provide no source to link this to.

[@electr_icity4613]

@@_BenJaminCroft_ Well in that case, where is this actual documentary you speak of? Until you cite an actual resource, there's hardly reason for me to believe you.

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

@@electr_icity4613 OMG! You seriously couldn't Google, *"How Family Separation Traumatized Children by the Atlantic"?* LOL & smh! Well in that case, to make it infinitely more simple for your millennial brain to comprehend, here; www.theatlantic.com/video/index/569572/family-separation/ Wooooow..... (rme)

[@smallbeanmusic2187]

I'm a Native American so I find it kinda funny that immigrants came here then said they're against immigration XD

[@jGRite]

No one wants that truth. Sadly we only saw and commented on this this week. People love to forget history.

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

They weren't immigrants. They were pioneers, trailblazers, and explorers.

[@rdsasuke1]

@@_BenJaminCroft_ Man you're such a brainwashed racist :D

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

@@rdsasuke1 I'm just speaking the truth and providing the facts. That's being a brain washed racists?

[@El-Silver]

@@jGRite well they were no imigrations laws also last time i checked they were only agianst ilegal imigration i came to us legally no conservite that i meet in person or the internet hates me becuase i followed the law

[@dumbraven7763]

I have no words. That video was horrible. Good on John for keeping his composure. It's very easy to forget that this happened, but that video is impossible to forget if you're a decent human being.

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

*There never is and there never was a "law"* telling the Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), or even the Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS); that after catching and detaining illegal alien parents with children, to then separate these children from their parents. There isn't even a blanket policy or procedure either. WTF PEOPLE!?!? The FACT of the matter is, is that these agencies do have a responsibility to *protect minors who are in their custody.* This means that the Border Patrol, CBP, ICE, and even DHS will only separate adults and minors under *certain circumstances.* These circumstances include: 1) When the agency is unable to determine the familial relationship 2) When the agency determines that a child may be at risk with the parent or legal guardian, or 3) When the parent or legal guardian is referred for criminal prosecution. Familial Relationship - If there is reason to question the claimed familial relationship between an adult and child, it is not appropriate to detain adults and children together. Human Trafficking and Smuggling - If there is reason to suspect the purported parent or legal guardian of human trafficking or smuggling, the agency detains the adult in an appropriate, secure detection facility, separate from the minor. The agency continues to see instances and intelligence reports indicating minors are trafficked by unrelated adults, posing as a “family” in an effort to avoid detention. Safety Risk - If there is reason to suspect the purported parent or legal guardian poses a safety risk to the child (e.g. suspected child abuse), it is not appropriate to maintain the adult and child together. Criminal Prosecution - If an adult is referred for criminal prosecution, the adult will be transferred to U.S. Marshals Service custody and any children will be classified as an unaccompanied alien child and transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services custody.

[@72marshflower15]

DumbRaven you know what conservatism and cancer literally have in common? both steal children from their families

[@evolvedape2161]

DumbRaven I agree. Fuck those parents for putting that child through that.

[@flashpeter625]

It is a tragic story of the individuals involved. It is also in no way representative of the typical response children have to such situation. This is an extreme case, a very labile child. Trying to frame extreme cases as good representations of a situation is a very typical logical fallacy of any conversation in the USA, it seems. John Oliver usually doesn't resort to that stupid tactic, but here he did.

[@CosmicCricket]

@Train Boxing at Home - Ty Thomas watch out for the caravan that "logically" looks like an invasion force even though it is supposedly disease-ridden and contains women and children.

[@DrTurdsley]

Damn! That passion at the end.

[@JonasBunse]

He's even shaking if you look at his hands ... that's how furious he is. Just as anyone should be.

[@vulturebitch]

@@JonasBunse I saw that too! it was so great he chose that topic just 2 days before the midterms when everyone seems to have forgotten about it.Ive read people saying that got me and Im not even American: its not an american issue, its a human rights issue.Im not American either, but this is extermely fucked up, its a violation of human rights, period.That's why John Oliver is the greatest watchdog in the US, love him to bits.

[@cesars7281]

It's because he is right. Almost all asylum seekers show up to court. There was no need to separate them. And the fear mongering calling then criminals is just that. Asylum seekers aren't even committing any crimes as that's how you claim asylum. It's sad how evil people are and how easily they are misled. Instead of being angry that middle class income is down almost 40% since 2008 while top 10% is up almost 30%, they are angry people are trying to claim asylum.

[@MasterJoeKerr]

He's throwing a temper tantrum and will get over it soon.

[@mrrolight]

Master Joe Kerr - oh yeah? And you're standing idly by like an appeaser in 1933 in Nuremberg. And when the fucking great big global shit storm passes, one of you can say it wasn't your fault and can prove it because of the KZbin tantrum you posted. The other has to admit to being complicit. You own the coming genocide Master Joe Kerr. It is yours. And when it all ends, people will come looking for you.

[@ethanrichmond3992]

I could watch that one animation of Cory Lewandowski falling into the fiery pits of hell all day.

[@GEOGUY-iv5qr]

"Womp-Womp Cunt" -God

[@candicefrost4561]

Had to change your number of likes from 69 to 70 . Sorry but it was worth it bro. 👊

[@patrickk557]

"Family separation is perhaps the most emblematic moment of his presidency so far." Worst part is, a lot of people may not even remember that this happened due to what came just a couple years after.

[@kittiekat10105]

The dead silence after that footage is deafening.

[@Hermboldt]

I hear what you mean

[@danasy87]

We can see how upset John is after showing the video of the boy, his gestures change and his expression looks angry... he’s totally right by feeling that way

[@interanaut31]

We human are really worst thing possible

[@RGR0000]

@@interanaut31 allow me to retort that this is the fault of a small subset of humans. I take no part on the traumatization of children who speak my language and with whom I feel an innate kinship. Blunt and broad categoratizations are useless when culprits are known.

[@interanaut31]

RGR0000 You are right bro.. Agree with you.. I was talking about in general.. We all. Have voted for those stupid people.. System is like this because of all of us.. Its not about single person.. Its not happening in usa.. Throughout the world small. Children are paying the price of wars, conflict and environmental changes..

[@OkiBoyAdventures]

When I was 4 my mom left me with my grandparents in Mexico while she immigrated to the US to find work. When she finally got settled down and we were reunited I remember her asking me “Do you love me?” And I said no. I don’t know how long we were apart but it was enough for me to forget who she was. I sat in her lap focusing on playing with some toys she had bought me while she cried. I didn’t realize until years later how much I probably hurt her. It was thanks to her I was able to grow up in the US and eventually join the Marines. I’ve traveled all over the world and now I’m getting ready to go to college. I can’t thank her enough. Thanks Mom! And thanks for reading - Chris Diaz. Former Sergeant of Marines, future college student, and proud anchor baby 🇺🇸🇲🇽🇺🇸 Semper Fi 🦅🌎⚓️

[@Pecisk]

That's some heartbreaking story there. Hope you alright now.

[@OkiBoyAdventures]

Pēteris Krišjānis we're doing great now! I start school next month. My mother has since gained citizenship and even started a family business with her sisters!

[@error_404.69]

The country thanks you for your service, but it makes me sad that despite fighting for our rights, you fought so the government can take the rights of others

[@windmacher]

ironic you risked your life for a country so that they can maintain the fucked up status quo against your own people.

[@UnicornsPoopRainbows]

Your mom better get some heartfelt mother's day activities! I have a 12 month old and I hate leaving her for a few hours of work. I can't imagine months at a time. And let's be fair, babies do the same thing every day. Your mom is a strong woman!

[@priscilla_garcia]

"Usted YA NO me quiere." - Jenri...YA NO meaning "anymore" here... "You don't love me anymore." It's much more heartbreaking this 6 yr. old boy refers to his mother as "Usted," not "Tu." It's a more formal (gender neutral) way of directing to someone. In central America, it's commonly used when speaking to one's parents also & not just those who are older/unknown to you. The pain this little one expresses is truly infuriating.

[@gavinandersson3625]

Indeed, it is absolutely infuriating. Honestly, the way Trump and his base have been demonizing Hispanic people is one reason why I've taken learning the Spanish language very seriously -- I'm saying this is as a high schooler, lol. Forgive me for straying from the topic, but all of this makes me think of a few instances in the school I used to go to until the end of sophomore year. When I was a freshman (which coincided during the 2016 election and Trump's inauguration), I remember during a soccer game in gym class, one of my classmates (a white and pretty ardent Trump supporter who shall remain nameless -- I've forgiven him but I still remember because it's important) yelled "Freakin' Mexicans!" when another classmate -- a Hispanic named Jose -- took the ball from him as PART OF THE GAME. Doesn't "Freakin' Mexicans" make you think back to Trump saying in 2015, "They're [the Mexican immigrants] bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists, and SOME I assume are good people." My relationship with this guy grew especially sour my sophomore year -- particularly during homecoming week. Let's just say that I experienced first-hand the toxicity of Trump's rhetoric. Pretty much every white male student in my high school (except for me, heeheehee...) supported President Trump, almost to a level of worship. To quote another student in my school, "Trump's a symbol of America! He's an idol!" Not to mention these kids were pretty boastful about their "Christian" faith. I'm pretty Christian myself, but just as Jesus boldly rebuked the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, I did my fair share of calling out the dangerous, xenophobic rhetoric spewed by my peers. Since I've moved, I've been told that these guys have significantly matured in their behavior -- big thumbs-up from me! Luckily at my new school (I'm a senior now, whoo-hoo!), I haven't experienced anything close to this perverted, hyper-masculine cult of personality. Plus, my new school has tons of international students, from places such as Germany, Brazil, China, South Korea, and even Spain and Peru. Diversity helps, people. Diversity helps. Take my anecdote however you want -- the Internet sets pretty low bars. Have a happy Halloween, everyone. ;) Edit: It's been almost two years since I graduated from high school, but the Trump cult has infiltrated both the high school I graduated from (at least, that's what my younger brother, now a high school senior, has told me) and a local church I attended for a while. I liked the sermons, the theology of that church is relatively grounded in Scripture (though it seems to advocate a young-earth creationism I used to fervently believe but no longer find to be biblically accurate), and I had really good conversations with the senior pastor. In the end, though, I left that church not because it leaned conservative, nor because the sermons frequently brought up current politics, but because of this subtle but nonetheless detectable and troubling atmosphere of Trumpism and hypernationalism among both the congregants and the pastor -- although, of course, the pastor would say things like, "The US is not in biblical prophecy," or "Our enemy is neither Democrat nor Republican." Sometimes it stood on the brink of conspiracy theories; for instance, during one of my talks with the pastor, he brought up how the United Nations started conspiring against Trump when he said "We don't need you guys. I should be able to lead my country however I want". (Oh, and the pastor would bring up guys like George Soros as examples of how Satan could establish his one-world religion in the Book of Revelation...) Basically, in churches like these, if you support vaccine mandates (or even vaccines themselves!), the Joe Biden administration, the United Nations, the theory of evolution, combatting systemic racism, or anything remotely liberal, YOU MUST NOT BE A CHRISTIAN. It infuriates me to no end that Christians like myself, who sincerely believe that Jesus Christ is their one true Savior, are pressured to be conservative all the way. It's *idolatry*, no different from the Israelites worshipping the golden calf, and I can't stand it!

[@Amateur0Visionary]

I had the same thought. I am in no way conversant in Spanish, so I wasn't sure i was correct. This is heartbreaking stuff.

[@Amateur0Visionary]

@@gavinandersson3625 well said. I have been absolutely baffled by the unwavering support of Trump by the Christian Right. I'm in the south, grew up Southern Baptist. Most of the people here are as well. VERY conservative. If Trump weren't a Republican, these people would eviscerate him for his lack of morals or ethics. I wouldn't have expected them to support Hillary. Of course they were going to vote for Trump as the "lesser of two evils". That i would totally understand. But so many of them are full on into the whole Trump cult of personality. I'm at a loss to understand this.

[@davidharrington95]

priscilla gee I thought gender neutral was a good thing?

[@mariokart6309]

@@davidharrington95 Tu is also gender neutral, the same way you is in english. The point isn't that it's gender neutral, the point is that usted is more formal

[@charlieputzel7735]

"And that kind of militaristic thinking can make people think it is necessary to make the kind of choices made in war." Well, that was downright prophetic.

[@solomonofbifrost6855]

Geez. That woman's face when it was pointed out that applying for asylum is legal. I don't know if I've ever seen such a dramatic shift from feigned pleasantness to cold contempt outside of animation. We absolutely need to see more of that in the face of all these lies.

[@austinp8172]

lol seeking asylum is legal, but these people in the caravan have no legal grounds to seek asylum. The whole "asylum" thing was started by the Geneva Convention, and UNDER the Geneva Convention, these people are NOT legitimate asylum seekers. So they are actually just (attempting to be) illegal immigrants. Just because that woman was ignorant doesn't mean all of us are, and John Oliver makes his living by cherry picking. If you believe his tripe, you're an idiot. Try finding some real news sources.

[@Nowolf]

@@austinp8172 It exist not only internationally but in US law as well; and you certainly don't have the standing to judge their 'legal grounds'. if they're actively fleeing dangerous situations, that's more than enough to seek asylum.

[@fappet]

@@austinp8172 Some people in the caravan might have grounds for asylum. Do you know the background story of everyone in that caravan? Either way, in the CNN clip with that woman, the subject wasn't the caravan. It was immigration as a whole. So when that woman wished Trump would remove the process of asylum, she means that for everyone including people who could desperately be needing it.

[@Hondavid.]

@@austinp8172 ooooor you're a propaganda eating shit brain! Let's blame the immigrants! Let's blame the Democrats! LET'S CALL OTHER PEOPLE IGNORANT CAUSE I LOVE MY PRESIDENT!!! Real news Sources???? WHO ARE YOU QUOTING??? Cause literally EVERY LEGAL EXPERT WHO'SE BEEN ASKED SAID THESE ASYLUM SEEKERS HAVE LEGAL STANDING. You frustrate me, because you're wrong but I can't make you see it. You will call me an idiot libtard and end the conversation. In reality, this offence could put America at odds with our allies, but because you won't believe a liberal, you'll take the bullet to the brain.

[@Hondavid.]

go to 13:20. that's you.

[@anahigomez3351]

You know it's wrong when he is mad but not shouting

[@axdonat]

the research on how shitty the situation actually is (which isn't really covered almost anywhere) broke him

[@JB-xl2jc]

Alex Donát That last video, man... fuck. My country did that. Without even a good reason. I can’t imagine being those parents. You finally have your son back, and he doesn’t trust you. He thinks you abandoned him. The worst things that happened to him in his life and you just... weren’t there. Completely powerless to help. I wouldn’t wish that on any parent. I wouldn’t wish that on any child. I don’t care what they’re guilty of- but especially not *legal* asylum seekers.

[@rehmanarshad1848]

Jeff B yeah that's fucked up...

[@brianwalter7928]

“Right... we did that. And not because we had to but we chose to.” Thanks John 🙏🏼

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

You're damn right they chose to do it. Because the FACT of the matter is, is that these agencies do have a responsibility to *protect minors who are in their custody.* This means that the Border Patrol, CBP, ICE, and even DHS will only separate adults and minors under *certain circumstances.* These circumstances include: 1) When the agency is unable to determine the familial relationship 2) When the agency determines that a child may be at risk with the parent or legal guardian, or 3) When the parent or legal guardian is referred for criminal prosecution. Familial Relationship - If there is reason to question the claimed familial relationship between an adult and child, it is not appropriate to detain adults and children together. Human Trafficking and Smuggling - If there is reason to suspect the purported parent or legal guardian of human trafficking or smuggling, the agency detains the adult in an appropriate, secure detection facility, separate from the minor. The agency continues to see instances and intelligence reports indicating minors are trafficked by unrelated adults, posing as a “family” in an effort to avoid detention. Safety Risk - If there is reason to suspect the purported parent or legal guardian poses a safety risk to the child (e.g. suspected child abuse), it is not appropriate to maintain the adult and child together. Criminal Prosecution - If an adult is referred for criminal prosecution, the adult will be transferred to U.S. Marshals Service custody and any children will be classified as an unaccompanied alien child and transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services custody.

[@BB_Creative]

BenJamin Croft so, you think it is right...To take a literal baby away from their mother!? Did you even watch the video?? Do you even have a soul?! I am disgusted by what Trump did. It’s because this action makes me hate him. He decides it was fine to take away someone child. That is completely an evil thing to do. I have no idea how you can support that. You truly have no soul.

[@eggpuppy335]

"I want to go to the jail. You don't love me. You're not my mom anymore." -Jenri (a kid) to his mother. I'm not reminding anyone of this, one just can not forget lines like those.

[@mechanicpluto2430]

*I'M NOT CRYING, **_YOU'RE_** CRYING*

[@kenpanderz672]

anyone involved in doing this to that kid doesnt just not deserve to be in a position of power ever again, they deserve to be in prison. they have committed a heinous crime against that child.

[@MissKHYT1]

@Janet Planet dont feed the sociopath, no use...

[@kenpanderz672]

Phantom Kelgar if you believe its acceptable to forcibly separate a child prom its parent, who hasnt committed a crime, you might be a sociopath.

[@eyescandeceive]

They lied to the children and said your mom doesn't want you any more, your mom doesnt love you any more, she's never coming to get you, and the like. Only truly evil to the core people can justify doing that and enjoy doing that. Only racist people can do that to brown children while they would raise bloody hell if it were being done to white children. Deplorables would have a fit if PUPPIES were being held in cages so packed they couldn't lie down, kept at freezing temperatures, barely fed, forced to sit in their own feces, and no one was allowed to hold or comfort them when they cried. When all this comes out, they will pretend they didn't know. But they did know. And they voted for it. And some of them laughed and got snotty about it. That is the measure of their evil and they will never, ever EVER live it down.

[@sunniebear1842]

Seeing that child sob, hearing his words, physically hurt me. I was moved to tears. This will never be okay.

[@TheCavedude107]

sunnie bear I’m a staunch Democrat and anti-Trump as it gets. I disliked him and disapproved of him before this. Now I HATE him and everything he stands for. Every Trump supporter should be forced to watch that kid and others like him on repeat for forever to know what they did. If that’s not a Human Rights violations than nothing is.

[@kurtkrienke2956]

@@TheCavedude107 Not trying to be an ass here but there were no specifics at all to this. It might just as well have been a kid throwing a fit. We didn't get to hear how long the mother was detained, or any other circumstantial information. I want to be clear that I'm not commenting on the policy or separation, but only on this small instance of very clearly emotionally manipulative reporting

[@austink641]

Kurt Krienke 15:22 this was after a month apart.

[@bornbredbermudian7643]

@@kurtkrienke2956 I feel like the woman did state that they were apart for a long time. Also that level of pain from a kid doesn't come from just having a tantrum.

[@willa9033]

@@kurtkrienke2956 your ignorance to this is beyond belief. Wow.

[@Jona19824]

Anyone notice how almost everything he says, has some humor in it, but the last sentence "who ever thinks thís is an acceptable fucking response" was brought without any humor and, I believe, sincere anger.

[@WolfFireheart]

He did become a father not to long ago. I am sure just the though of a government taking his kid away fills him with a kind of anger he has never felt before.

[@ShannaRiley]

@@WolfFireheart Exactly. What I can't fathom is how other parents, who agree with what happened, don't feel the same way.

[@jstrattonlobdell4175]

The incredible lack of empathy in that statement is telling. He just demonized tens of millions of Americans. This is how we creep closer to civil war..... and lose the few of us who still appreciated John Oliver for his humor despite his political bias. Now he just sounds like another leftist demagogue.

[@CollinMcLean]

You don’t have to be a parent to be outraged at this, you just have to be a human being with a shred of sympathy, empathy, and morality...

[@RoyJic]

Being an immigrant himself and a new parent, he can empathize with what’s happening.

[@MsLPJ]

That part where the little boy told his mother she didnt love him any more broke me all the way down. I feel so bad for both of them. It's just cruel.

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

There is a "rumor" circulating online about the video documentary, "How Family Separation Traumatizes Children" by The Atlantic. Which was obviously made more prominent by having these short clips from it being aired on this show. The "rumor" is suggesting that these short segments of the film, that was aired are insinuating that little boy, Jenri, who was crying and saying things like, "You don't love me!", "You're not my mom!", and "I want to go back to jail!" because he was "traumatized" from being separated from his mother for a month, by immigrations and customs, after being detained along with his mother, Anita, for illegally crossing the border, is not true. When in actuality, the creators conveniently and deliberately edited out the part that led up to that incident of Jenri lying on the bed and crying. The creators edited out the part that shows Jenri's mother trying to calm him down for bedtime, because he is excited about flying on a plane to South Carolina to be with his father tomorrow morning. Jenri refuses to listen, ignores her and continues to act up and even pitches a hissy fit over it. Anita then disciplines him by spanking him with a belt. That's why Jenri was crying and saying those things. Because he was disciplined by his mother for not listening to her. Not because he was "traumatized" for being separated from his mother for a month. Furthermore, the documentary also leaves out the fact that Jenri suffers from Rickets and that he actually misses being at the detention facility because he got to eat three meals a day with friends that he made while being there. If this is true, then this isn't journalism. The only way to confirm this is to get a hold of the unedited footage. And what a story this would make too. Especially when immigration is a such a hot topic right now. Can't confirm or deny this. The only way is to get in touch with The Atlantic, a very democratic leftwing leaning news organization, who sponsored the documentary. So far no response back.....

[@TinaTr84]

Anyone who sees the way the children have been treated at the border and justifies it by citing policy points is a monster. Period.

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

Citing polices, aka the *law,* are considered by you as "monsters?* (face palm)

[@TinaTr84]

@@_BenJaminCroft_ thanks for identifying yourself.

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

@@TinaTr84 As what?

[@richgerow3472]

@@_BenJaminCroft_ Someone didn't watch the video. The majority of family separations happened to families that were seeking asylum, which is legal in the United States. So if they were legally seeking asylum, then the only law they were breaking was entering the country while being brown. But it's cool, just keep using heartless conservative talking points to justify the cruel and inhumane treatment of children. Your seat in hell is getting warmer by the second.

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

@@richgerow3472 Can you prove, beyond any reasonable doubt, that these children do in fact belong to these so called "parents" and that their actions and claims for asylum fall within the parameters of what the laws stipulates?

[@Tantejay]

the first time I've seen John Oliver almost seen crying. And rightfully so. Those children need a voice. They have none. Thank you.

[@imawesomepersonDERP]

Medved Bondchev did you even watch the first five minutes? Jesus fucking christ

[@lynxaway]

@Medved Bondchev they’re children, you monster. They didn’t choose any of this. And because of the heartlessness of our government they will have to spend years upon years trying to undo the psychological damage. I’m done explaining the nuances of this to people-John Oliver did so already. If you can still only think about how to justify these cruelties, you are lacking in humanity.

[@medved7153]

@@imawesomepersonDERP if you commit a crime, you get prosecuted - if you are that bent on accommodating the underprivileged; lets take the poverty line to represent the marker of the underprivileged. Are you willing to accept ALL of the world's underprivileged in the U.S. then? You're exchanging the sovereignty of the U.S. with unchecked emotions at the cost of your own nation's betterment. When you commit a crime, the law must act to apprehend those in breach, and enforce measures of prevention; and the government is practicing just that. Instead of politicizing children, recognize the possibility of adults using children to deter the enforcement of border and immigration law the same way militants sometimes use "child shields" from the army in Idlib, Syria or Gaza, Palestine.

[@medved7153]

@@lynxaway I see, so those in favour of protecting the borders, laws that represent the sovereignty of the U.S. lack humanity. You try to seize and monopolize humanity as a quality of self when you in doing so have completely demonized good willing people who already concede to what you want, just within the bounds and structure of the law. You imply prejudice exists against the underprivileged when such straw man fallacies only demonstrate the incompleteness of your thoughts: we respect, accept and welcome LEGAL immigrants, that way we can screen them, have them in the system for their benefit of aid, and educate them too - the same way you're in the system as a citizen. if you commit a crime, you get prosecuted - if you are that bent on accommodating the underprivileged; lets take the poverty line to represent the marker of the underprivileged. Are you willing to accept ALL of the world's underprivileged in the U.S. then? You're exchanging the sovereignty of the U.S. with unchecked emotions at the cost of your own nation's betterment. When you commit a crime, the law must act to apprehend those in breach, and enforce measures of prevention; and the government is practicing just that. Instead of politicizing children, recognize the possibility of adults using children to deter the enforcement of border and immigration law the same way militants sometimes use "child shields" from the army in Idlib, Syria or Gaza, Palestine.

[@medved7153]

@Hugsforall listen here virgin introvert, if you break the law, you get whacked - its that simple; don't trespass and illegally enter sovereign states; a state has the right to defend itself from illegal intrusions; those bastards ought to be shot for illegal tresspass; and if you don't like that then you can fuck off, there's a reason why Trump's President, because the people have had enough of our sovereignty being raped while you justify crimes against territorial sovereignty - that's as simple as it is; whine all you want and pretend your position is more moralistic all you want, but does nothing to deal with the reality that tresspass is prosecutable

[@DarkOsterhase]

I cant remember seeing John Oliver so angry. and i think it suits the situations...

[@saurav0110]

Absolutely correct

[@extrams0]

Agreed.

[@brandonthompson8640]

the only thing that even comes close was when tRump disrespected Mr. Khan and his wife.

[@kcwidman]

What video was this @brandon?

[@sajalkaushik1809]

@@brandonthompson8640 could you please provide the link to that video

[@alirezaee1530]

"I only want people to get married the legal way" "I mean, gay marriage is legal" .... ... "Well I hope Trump Changes that" The whole ideology of these people. We don't like something, let's make it illegal.

[@Sport4Life]

White culture in a nutshell

[@TheNinthGenerarion]

@@Sport4Life conservative culture

[@vertsang5424]

@@Sport4Life you're wrong. don't generalize.

[@Lost-mb1gj]

@@vertsang5424 White conservative culture more like

[@olotocolo]

@@TheNinthGenerarion nope. Left side does exact same thing. We don;t like that, cancel it.

[@rickiex]

in 20 years we will read about this in the text books, along side the japanese concentration camps

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

LOL! Concentration camps? Is that what you think these are? LOL!

[@TigerRW86]

@@_BenJaminCroft_ That's exactly what they were...

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

@@TigerRW86 We're not forcing them into anything. They're doing it to themselves. How on earth does that constitute as a consitraion camp???

[@nucitamoore]

@@_BenJaminCroft_ doing what to themselves?

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

@@nucitamoore Making their own decision to break another country's laws by attempting to sneak across it's borders.

[@Mechassault_Man]

16:28 Yeah. *We* did that. Not because we had to, but because we chose to. This is utterly depressing.

[@sarahgreen3465]

Mechassault Man I can barely watch it anymore. I just start weeping. I can’t understand.

[@fluffed_coyote1487]

It's depressing, sure. But it's mostly disgusting

[@drewjames2237]

Yeehaw getr dun that them Mulley buck deer

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

Can you honestly sit there and tell me with a straight face that these children do in fact, beyond any reasonable doubt, actually belong to these so called "parents" and that their actions and claims for asylum fall within the parameters of what the law stipulates?

[@carolinamurtha3102]

BenJamin Croft yes, I can. Seeking asylum from dangerous situations is legal. Can you honestly say with a straight face that taking young children (some disabled, some barely infants) away from their parents and traumatizing them by putting them in cages away from their loved ones is any kind of acceptable punishment? Because people like you (and that lady who hopes trump changes the law) question their motives for seeking asylum? No child should ever have to suffer as needlessly as these kids have.

[@jillorchid7965]

That kid telling his mom that she doesn't love him no more literally had me in tears.

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

There is a "rumor" circulating online about the video documentary, "How Family Separation Traumatizes Children" by The Atlantic. Which was made more prominent by having these short clips from it being aired on this show. The "rumor" is suggesting that these short segments of the film, that was aired are insinuating that little boy, Jenri, who was crying and saying things like, "You don't love me!", "You're not my mom!", and "I want to go back to jail!" because he was "traumatized" from being separated from his mother for a month, by immigrations and customs, after being detained along with his mother, Anita, for illegally crossing the border. When in actuality, the creators conveniently and deliberately edited out the part that led up to that incident of Jenri lying on the bed and crying. The creators edited out the part that shows Jenri's mother trying to calm him down for bedtime, because he is excited about flying on a plane to South Carolina to be with his father tomorrow morning. Jenri refuses to listen, ignores her and continues to act up and even pitches a hissy over it. Anita then disciplines him by spanking him with a belt. That's why Jenri was crying and saying those things. Because he was disciplined by his mother for not listening to her. Not because he was "traumatized" for being separated from his mother for a month. Furthermore, the documentary also leaves out the fact that Jenri suffers from Rickets and that he actually misses being at the detention facility because he got to eat three meals a day with friends that he made while being there. If this is true, then this isn't journalism. The only way to confirm this is to get a hold of the unedited footage. And what a story this would make too. Especially when immigration is a such a hot topic right now. Can't confirm or deny this. The only way is to get in touch with The Atlantic, a very democratic leftwing leaning news organization, who sponsored the documentary. So far no response back.....

[@Dominic_Made_It]

@@_BenJaminCroft_ wow. People like you is why this country is what it is today

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

@@Dominic_Made_It Can you honestly sit there and tell me with a straight face that these children do in fact, beyond any reasonable doubt, actually belong to these so called "parents" and that their actions and claims for asylum fall within the parameters of what the law stipulates?

[@nikitaglushkov8473]

@@_BenJaminCroft_ It would behoove you to reliably source your "rumours circulating online". There are rumours circulating online that Elvis lives among us and that Batboy is real. If you have time to copy and paste the same clownish responce under dozens of comments for one video, certainly you must have the time to come up with a standard of proof higher than "rumours circulating online?"

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

@@nikitaglushkov8473 I've been trying for over a year now to get in contact with The Atlantic. No response whatsoever. If I can more people aware of this we could boycott The Atlantic to finally give us the proof we're requesting by releasing the unedited videos.

[@lillemuller9596]

Wow i have Never seen John Oliver this upset He seemed like he nearly cried I can not even imagine how this feels to those parents whose son is so traumatized Just imagine your child going through that Just imagine

[@RebeccaKLand]

"Violence is not strength and compassion is not weakness", King Arthur in Camelot.

[@Narutass43]

Using a fictional quote doesn't really help anybody

[@Dawwwg]

Politicians all over the world quote fictional stuff all the time, some countries even based their laws on it; and it's also known as 'religion'... Besides Trump never states any facts only fictional stuff and that's accepted too, so why not a wise quote from classical literature ?

[@vertsang5424]

@@Dawwwg you got it:)

[@Lodrik18]

from a book, series or movie? (would read/watch it) @@Narutass43

[@Zackapo]

violence may be the answer this time. americans have pussied out of a legal way to get rid of republicans. you always go high while they go low. FUCKING RIOT ALREADY

[@christopher3377]

I am in pieces because of that child. God bless you John Oliver for bringing this to our consciousness.

[@crazyluigi6664]

Oh, fuck off with that racist shit!

[@alecrhodes7110]

These are our generation’s internment camps. Vote wisely in 2020

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

Internment camps??? WTF OVER!?!? LOL! TRUMP 2020!

[@jess5460]

BenJamin Croft He obviously meant that these cages and this amoral behavior resembles that of the Nazis and their camps or of the Americans and the Japanese camps during WW2. Every generation has its own replica of the past and we are on a moral precipice where we will decide if history should repeat

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

@@jess5460 First things first, America and it's citizens. If we don't secure that then what difference would the rest make? "No man is justified in doing evil on the ground of expediency." - Theodore Roosevelt

[@jess5460]

​@@_BenJaminCroft_ American priority should NOT compromise moral justification. If America is a country that deems acts acceptable despite being devoid of ethical reasoning, then that is a country deserving of collapse

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

@@jess5460 Then can you sit there and tell me with a straight face that these children do in fact, beyond any reasonable doubt, actually belong to these so called "parents" and that their actions and claims for asylum fall within the parameters of what the law stipulates?

[@topscris]

Your sadness could immediately turn to anger and be very very furious if you try to imagine what else could that little child have experienced while they were in detention and away from his parents leading him to feel that way towards her mother.

[@felix6587]

As a german, watching a countrys moral canon getting destroyed piece by piece, as it is happening in the US, is alarming and scary. Did we all forget what it means when a leading politician thunnels fear and anger to raise a hatred against easy to pick on minorities? Where this trumps administrations behaviour is heading is a path you might wont be able to step back easily from

[@magiceightballspot]

The leading politician you are referring to had the media backing him. Trump is being constantly attacked by the media. I see nothing in this comparison that can lead to the same conclusion, but thanks for the warning.

[@Gammeljonny]

@@magiceightballspot Right, Hitler just spawned oof nowhere with his Propaganda-Maschine xD Ever thought about german media before Hitler? Free, (mostly) democratic, profitable. When Hitler came to Power, He told everybody the media were lying crooks and they'd be the enemy if they didnt support him. Just think about it

[@felix6587]

@@magiceightballspot maybe you over estimate the role of the media with reference to the rising of Adolf Hitler in germany. It's about the moral compass that seems to be effected by the trump administration. And that's dangerous either with media for or against you as long as they are fanatics enough to believe in what they want to believe in.

[@felix6587]

@@unchangingtask why you think though this strategy works? that is the strategy under which several cruel terror acts were carried out even in the US. So I just say the urge to answer this kind of threat with simple violence seemed not to work very well so far and in some cases lead to some very dangerous ideological outcomes in some states. Isnt rethinking problem solving strategys something to consider?

[@FriedrichHerschel]

@@unchangingtask Another idiot who tries to shift the topic to syrian refugees in Germany simply because someone said "Germany". It's old, it's lame, and nobody falls for it. The topic is your Mini-Hitler in office.

[@FrydaWolff]

Thank you HBO for paying for this show. It's one of the few things keeping me sane during this regime.

[@lilith4961]

Same here

[@benkenobi6177]

I was just about to say the same thing. Took the words right out of my mouth.

[@6mmMayhem]

@E S Actually it barely wasn't even 60 million.

[@dervakommtvonhinten517]

you dont sound sane....

[@juanandresrojas3345]

Get the fuck out of here. You live in fucking paradise, I would love to see you live a month in Venezuela. God damn some of you are so ignorant is not even funny..

[@x24agthorn29]

Damn, John! Separation really struck a heart string in a new daddy, eh? Proud of you, Mr. O.

[@dakotaroberts9492]

This is the most angry Ive seen John Oliver.

[@brianarodriguez2757]

Can you really blame him?

[@YogiDesforges]

I'm fucking pist of myself. That kid sequence will hunt me forever.

[@user-ki2bs2ux3k]

Its normal human reaction to something so terrible

[@Kappiccino]

"It is legal to seek asylum" (fact) "...Silence". That burn 🔥🔥🔥

[@ziqi92]

Kappiccino burned so badly that she was forced to show how she really felt about immigrants

[@funtimes3977]

Time-stamp??

[@kevinhovivian1121]

What if it was Europeans seeking asylum ? And let her remember where her ancestors do come from.

[@Kappiccino]

@@funtimes3977 Around 13:14

[@househun]

...on a given country's embassy.

[@medusareigns]

The silence from the audience after Jenri's clip played was deafening.

[@wabbafet2]

you're so right

[@melancholyalexx7790]

That...that was so hard and heartbreaking to watch...the shit we've done...

[@melancholyalexx7790]

I don't doubt that some were crying. Because for fuck's sake I did..

[@margaretgarside5617]

I don't think I've ever seen that on this show before. I ADORE John Oliver. We need him right now.

[@emilypoet25]

Wow, I don't think I've ever seen John Oliver so upset about something... damn.

[@PearceVaughn]

This has to be the most moving and powerful video I've watched all year.

[@Nightmoore]

This is the most angry I’ve seen Oliver on his show. By the end of it, you realized that there’s nothing funny about this. At all.

[@HyliansPower]

Okay but also, any reasonable person would be

[@rorrymaul1005]

@James Davis didn't know you had kids.

[@jimbob3030]

@James Davis You are real human garbage aren't you?

[@OverdramaticAngel]

I'm still having trouble not just bursting into tears all over again, thinking about that poor little boy. And how many more are out there going through the exact same suffering? Even one is too many. I have never been so ashamed to call this my country.

[@jessetorres8738]

Stephen Harrell: It's probably partially due to the fact that (as he stated) he's a parent and would hate to have this happen to him and his son, yet can't believe that our government is trying to justify doing this to thousands of families, especially given the footage of the impact it has on the children.

[@cl20999]

Damn, John always has a good show but this really put even more facts and research behind what we already knew was wrong. I don't think I'll ever be capable of understanding how a person can be terribly offended when they see someone kneel during a song at a football game but have zero feeling while witnessing a toddler being locked up away from its parents. I'd rather see somebody piss on the flag while taking a shit on my family crest than see a baby literally lost in a foreign country, but somehow I'll be considered a snowflake SJW for prioritizing human life over pride and patriotism. I hate the division in this country but if "babies in cages" isn't something we can all take the same side on, then we're doomed.

[@AriJeru]

What the fuck does patriotism mean if someone is endorsing something so fundamentally horrifying in the name of it?! I’m so fucking angry. My dad had received asylum in the 80’s. He was basically told he had zero chance of receiving it then... I can’t imagine he’d have a sliver of a chance today. Fuck

[@noobmasterchief4314]

@@AriJeru "something so fundamentally horrifying in the name of it" that is practically every religion ever ;)

[@kimmyball4961]

Amen

[@Kattywampus]

Amen to that CL..

[@ChrisSandford182]

16:28 The studio is so silent his microphone picks up the movement of his clothing.

[@edwardklein3093]

Come here legally! *Seeking asylum is legal.* No not like that!

[@jshdhsgsh]

I have studied attachment in psychology; and the reason why parents have beds in paediatric wards is to avoid exactly the kind of outcome we saw at the end.

[@ColoringKaria]

WICKED is good yep.

[@anirudhjain8874]

But the kid is United with his mom right, so he should be happy , shouldn't that ease out the trauma ?

[@logicandreason3812]

@@anirudhjain8874 He isn't happy because he felt abandoned. I didn't study psychology but it is quite logical. He is scared that this happens again and blames his mother for it. He lost the trust in his family,that they would protect him from other people. He feels betrayed by his own mother. This can potentially destroy his life. But this is only a part of it.

[@J3ennife4]

Anirudh Jain nope. That kid went through hell for a solid month, probably being brainwashed to think that his mother chose to send him to the camp because she tried to gain asylum here. Think back to getting separated from your parents at a grocery store or somewhere when you were six years old. Thinking back on it, you’re still sad even though your mum probably found you an hour later (at most). Being separated from your mum for a month while you’re tossed in cages with barely enough to eat? When you’re being brainwashed into thinking that your mother told someone to throw you in there? I’d be enormously surprised if any of these kids ever come vaguely close to “getting over it”

[@Nerobyrne]

Honestly I can't think of a better way of creating future domestic terrorists. But that's none of my business...

[@skinnyg214]

I put the argument forth to my mom, "how would you feel in this same situation? We have to go to Canada and their government rips us apart." Her reply appalled me. "Yes, but we're different."

[@klemen96]

Summing up the problem...

[@aesthera.]

When my husband and I moved to the UK (a country almost as nationalistic as the US) and had trouble with visas, I had this same argument with my parents. They both just assumed since my husband and I are American and white that we’d be accepted, no questions asked. And when we had repeated trouble with our visas, they’d get so confused why that could possibly be. Makes me angry just thinking about it.

[@sofiav.9846]

this breaks my heart. how can people bend over backwards and forwards to justify children being hurt? you'd only need an ounce of empathy to stop this. people don't understand that this presidency will have lasting effects for generations. it's not about his compulsive lying, his ridiculous gestures... it's about abusing the most vulnerable and cheering him on while he does it.

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

There is a "rumor" circulating online about the video documentary, "How Family Separation Traumatizes Children" by The Atlantic. Which was made more prominent by having these short clips from it being aired on this show. The "rumor" is suggesting that these short segments of the film, that was aired are insinuating that little boy, Jenri, who was crying and saying things like, "You don't love me!", "You're not my mom!", and "I want to go back to jail!" because he was "traumatized" from being separated from his mother for a month, by immigrations and customs, after being detained along with his mother, Anita, for illegally crossing the border. When in actuality, the creators conveniently and deliberately edited out the part that led up to that incident of Jenri lying on the bed and crying. The creators edited out the part that shows Jenri's mother trying to calm him down for bedtime, because he is excited about flying on a plane to South Carolina to be with his father tomorrow morning. Jenri refuses to listen, ignores her and continues to act up and even pitches a hissy over it. Anita then disciplines him by spanking him with a belt. That's why Jenri was crying and saying those things. Because he was disciplined by his mother for not listening to her. Not because he was "traumatized" for being separated from his mother for a month. Furthermore, the documentary also leaves out the fact that Jenri suffers from Rickets and that he actually misses being at the detention facility because he got to eat three meals a day with friends that he made while being there. If this is true, then this isn't journalism. The only way to confirm this is to get a hold of the unedited footage. And what a story this would make too. Especially when immigration is a such a hot topic right now. Can't confirm or deny this. The only way is to get in touch with The Atlantic, a very democratic leftwing leaning news organization, who sponsored the documentary. So far no response back.....

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

@@chrisstoltz3648 I've read it in other comments. Again it's just rumor and the Atlantic has still not yet responded back.

[@genieglasslamp5028]

@@_BenJaminCroft_ Oh so it's like saying people who survived school shooting and then advocate for gun control laws are paid actors.

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

@@genieglasslamp5028 Uhhh... no. You completely misinterpreted and distorted what I just said. That was really disingenuous of you. smh...

[@genieglasslamp5028]

@@_BenJaminCroft_ How you posted events which not even you yourself know to have actually happened yet still claimed they were. But then you claimed you have to verify. You even called it a rumor. And you didnt cite any sources for claims. Literally a conspiracy theory. And a damn flimsy one at that. I just compared yours to other ones like it.

[@mwanikimbau6494]

Literally one year later, and Trump is considering a moat. John Oliver, you were goddamn right

[@wabschall]

Someone did a reddit post a while back actually discussing the mechanics of that, and its mental. The elevation changes alone across the border would mean that we'd either have to create the world's largest, most complex canal with hundred if not thousands of locks and gate, or the world largest man made trench to maintain sea level.

[@henke37]

He used a stern tone and a marginally raised voice. After adjusting for britishness, he's about to kick the head off someone.

[@cowboyflipflopped]

His right hand was visibly shaking at the end. The Brits telegraphed less before the fire-bombing of Dresden.

[@thomasrosebrough9062]

"adjusting for britishness" lol

[@Gloriath1]

"A tiger in Africa?"

[@bunnybreaker]

I'm British and I can tell you he went British Super Saiyan.

[@MsGio1221]

I remember getting lost for about an hour when I was 8 or 9 years old. I was hysterical the entire time, and I was terribly mad at my dad for losing me. Twenty years later, and I still have an irrational fear of getting lost. The anxiety is real. I can't even imagine what this little boy is feeling, but I know it's something that will haunt him forever.

[@mattdylla3225]

I tried to share this with my parents and was called a bleeding heart. I didn't speak to them for two years, then shared this with them again and asked them how they felt. PS. It was a nice surprise to learn my dad stopped drinking.

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

If you can't handle a little suffering then you bring on bottomless suffering.

[@Anvilman]

@@_BenJaminCroft_ Says the loser trying to defend said "bottomless suffering."

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

@@Anvilman You can't save everyone. To even think that way is preposterous on so many levels.

[@Anvilman]

@@_BenJaminCroft_ So what? That doesn't change the fact the Trump administration is full of disgusting assholes. And you'e just a pathetic shill trying to deflect blame from them.

[@NaijaViking]

Omg this is worse than I realized. How do you separate babies from their mothers?!!

[@spongeintheshoe]

"Adults to the left! Children to the right!"

[@shivamsinha2154]

@@spongeintheshoe holy shit yes yes yes yes yes yes i recognize that sitty person and his supporters you never know that trump would end up in the same way as that shitty Austrian ended or might be worse

[@ajtrujillo21]

You never feel the full gravity of a situation like this until you see the consequences with your own eyes.. such cruelty what we did to that little boy. I shudder to think of how many other children are just like him.. even worse, it pains me to think of what might happen if they start doing this again.. this needs to stop. For humanities sake, save these kids and parents from this ungodly situation.

[@jerslan]

"even worse, it pains me to think of what might happen if they start doing this again.." Have they actually stopped doing it? I know they like to say they have, but all evidence is pointing to it's still happening.

[@spiritualscorpion1092]

Imagine wat that gotta be like man that must be fucking traumatizing and wat if he doesnt get better uk then you've turned this kid into a monster

[@paulzuk1468]

+Bunnie the boo I am a parent and if someone did this to my child, nothing would be off the table. I would seriously not be against murdering border patrol agents at that point. This is how you create terrorists.

[@spiritualscorpion1092]

@@paulzuk1468 I didnt want to put like that but definitely uk thats wat make terrorist

[@JB-xl2jc]

As much as I liked the closing jokes and argument, John honestly could’ve spent two minutes silently staring into the camera after that last video and I would have felt his point just as much. That last video was horrific.

[@danielmarsh5923]

?

[@RealRomplayer]

This video of the kid totally caught me off guard. That was just.... whoah.... Heavy.

[@jonmcnamara]

What point? Orange man bad? Wont someone think of the children?

[@abdulmalik053]

U think he couldn't do that? He intentionally switched the gears back to make it a little light because he might have seen the live audience crying and i am pretty sure he knows when to take a pause...

[@smileyj6825]

@@jonmcnamara Dude..no. not this time.

[@bradrz6550]

the end of this video hit me hard, it brought me to tears.

[@justinkiehlmeier1433]

That kid crying is going to haunt my dreams because I'm an American and I did nothing to stop Donald Trump

[@salvadorlloret-farina8767]

There is still time to oppose him now, channel the emotion. That stinging rebuke that each sob of his causes you to feel, use that to encourage you and increase your resolve.

[@lemonielala3080]

I live on the other side of the world and feel completely helpless because I can't do anything about all the shit that is happening both in the US and everywhere Twitler is bringing his stink (my country neighbors Russia, so.... yeah, we're a bit nervous too.). But you can VOTE, you can even mobilize, work for people and organizations trying to make a difference! You can at least make yourself feel useful if you want. All I can do is sit here and hope that all of you who have that power to vote this monster and all his lapdogs out of their offices do that. Please, do that. Not just for your country and it's people and the people seeking refuge there, but for all of us around the world with you in thought. We're all scared, angry and sad. You can be the heroes that help make this right! ❤

[@doh5artcrimeskrew]

you can still do something! do not vote trump this year,and make everyone you know not vote for him!

[@WakaWaka2468]

Beta male

[@autovozo5725]

@@WakaWaka2468 yea sure bud

[@fernandoballadares8082]

"Its not that they dont want immigrants to come here because they're criminals, is that they're calling them criminal because they dont want them to come here" - John Oliver 2018

[@katsunada]

New World Order which is seriously a stupid argument. If they jump the border they are criminals. Simple as that.

[@isuna]

@@katsunada I'm definitely sure you weren't surprised to see this kid not accepting his mum anymore. If a family wants to live in another country for being far from a war or a conflict or a politic they don't approve, and that they want to live normally like any citizen and therefore any American would do, they F***ING DONT COMMIT A CRIME. They want to SURVIVE or HAVE A BETTER LIFE. They don't threat anyone, they don't injure or kill anyone. You really are an idiot.

[@Iwetbeds]

@@isuna That kid is not accepting his "mum" anymore because he is angry that she would put him in a situation that would get him taken from her....you know...by forcing your way into a country illegally....we live in a world with citizenships and laws....you can't just go somewhere because you think its better...The united states is not the only country who has immigration laws...its world wide, which is why you need a passport to travel.

[@finnshelton3815]

Green Corn I highly doubt that a 6 year old has the mental faculty to make that decision. He seems to be suffering from both PTSD and Stockholm syndrome and the fact that you think that a literal toddler can make complex moral decisions is depressing.

[@sergiomanzo7073]

@@Iwetbeds you really have never even been around a toddler to state this fucking non sense, aren't you even a bit ashamed of how idiot that sound?

[@JR-ut2ne]

Seeing the kid at the end is just heartbreaking. Leaving aside the whole immigration question and whether it's positive that so many immigrants are coming to the US one just simply cannot separate small children from their parents in such a cruel way. This will damage the children's life and will have serious consequences !

[@craigcuozzo6791]

In the end of it all, phycological trama like they went thru will carry over into there teens and adulthood, and one way or another, this will become a self fulfilling prophecy the republic Nazis will exploit twenty years down the road

[@jimpanze5026]

the power of well chosen pictures. in europe, 80% of ilegal migrants are male and between 16 and 30 years of age. we were fooled by these pictures in 2015 as well.

[@paberan5920]

But we are talking about family getting separated so why do your comment even exist

[@spyder6925]

@@paberan5920 Well maybe their parents shouldn't break the law and they won't be separated. Liberals drive me crazy when they over look the ILLEGAL part of all this. You can't break laws and not expect consequence.

[@Koop784]

Children cry all the time. I don't see the big deal.

[@sagarroy8679]

Never has a Last Week Tonight episode made me care about the subject matter remotely as close to how much this one did.

[@joycerossi4637]

I don't think I've ever seen John Oliver this visibly upset and angry. That's how you know things are fucked up.

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

The only thing that's fucked up is the blatant lies and propaganda that this episode is regurgitating.

[@samimotaghedi]

The ending with that little boy, made me cry😔. It's not right what we did.

[@Mo-re7ny]

Really heart breaking to hear a child says that and feel that way.. Oh my god

[@isaiahwieland]

I think its really important how you phrased that. We did this, and we, as a nation, are responsible for making it right.

[@l.s.9953]

I agree with you, but WE did not do it. Trump and his team of sociopaths did this. Despicable.

[@lll9107]

@@l.s.9953 Obama separated families too, this has been status quo for a long time, only now you bitch though.

[@catherinestickels2591]

@@l.s.9953 If we allow him to get away with it, we are complicit. Time will show how much we are

[@Scriptkitty-sd8dp]

Thank you for your entire existence, John Oliver.

[@teethium5748]

i study body language. his hands were shaking and his lip was quivering. His jaw was set, and his voice was so quiet it’s scary. his eyebrows were raised, he kept fidgeting and hitting the table. i’ve never seen him so angry, so sad, and overall hopeless. For the right reason too.

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

For the right reason? Can you honestly sit there and tell me with a straight face that these children do in fact, beyond any reasonable doubt, actually belong to these so called "parents"and that their actions and claims for asylum fall within the parameters of what the law stipulates?

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

@@teethium5748 I'm sorry for what happened to you and my heart goes out to yah. But unfortunately your position is that of a logical fallacy known as the anecdotal fallacy. You used a personal experience or an isolated example instead of a sound argument or compelling evidence. It's often more easier to believe someone's compelling testimony as opposed to understanding complex data and facts. Statistics and factual evidence are almost always more accurate than personal perceptions and experiences. So my question to you still stands. Can you honestly sit there and tell me with a straight face that these children do in fact, beyond any reasonable doubt, actually belong to these so called "parents" and that their actions and claims for asylum fall within the parameters of what the law stipulates?

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

@@teethium5748 The actual facts and data do not support your assertion based on your isolated personal experience. www.cbp.gov/border-security/human-trafficking (human trafficking at the border) inhomelandsecurity.com/sex-trafficking-border/ (Sex trafficking at the border) www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-border-patrol-dna-20180508-htmlstory.html (Migrants are not always related) helenaglass.net/2018/06/21/border-crossing-child-trafficking/ (Illegal border crossings = child trafficking) And I can keep going. Therefore, these agencies do have a responsibility to *protect minors who are in their custody.* This means that the Border Patrol, CBP, ICE, and even DHS will only separate adults and minors under *certain circumstances.* These circumstances include: 1) When the agency is unable to determine the familial relationship 2) When the agency determines that a child may be at risk with the parent or legal guardian, or 3) When the parent or legal guardian is referred for criminal prosecution. Familial Relationship - If there is reason to question the claimed familial relationship between an adult and child, it is not appropriate to detain adults and children together. Human Trafficking and Smuggling - If there is reason to suspect the purported parent or legal guardian of human trafficking or smuggling, the agency detains the adult in an appropriate, secure detection facility, separate from the minor. The agency continues to see instances and intelligence reports indicating minors are trafficked by unrelated adults, posing as a “family” in an effort to avoid detention. Safety Risk - If there is reason to suspect the purported parent or legal guardian poses a safety risk to the child (e.g. suspected child abuse), it is not appropriate to maintain the adult and child together. Criminal Prosecution - If an adult is referred for criminal prosecution, the adult will be transferred to U.S. Marshals Service custody and any children will be classified as an unaccompanied alien child and transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services custody. www.dhs.gov/news/2018/06/18/myth-vs-fact-dhs-zero-tolerance-policy (protect minors in our custody) Furthermore, to establish eligibility for asylum or refugee status, you must prove you are either the victim of past persecution or you have a well-founded fear of future persecution. In the case of past persecution, you must prove that you were persecuted in your home country or last country of residence. The persecution must have been based on at least one of five grounds, either your: •race •religion •nationality •political opinion, or •membership in a particular social group. Illegally crossing the border and then making a piss-poor excuse like "I'm here to work." or "I was attacked by gangs." or "I have children with me." in order to claim asylum or refugee status does not fall within the parameters of what the law stipulates. www.alllaw.com/articles/nolo/us-immigration/who-eligible-asylum-refugee-protection.html (asylum eligibility) Again, can you honestly sit there and tell me with a straight face that these children do in fact, beyond any reasonable doubt, actually belong to these so called "parents" and that their actions and claims for asylum fall within the parameters of what the law stipulates?

[@Anvilman]

@@_BenJaminCroft_ Your xenophobic desire to apply "guilty until proven innocent" to asylum seekers has no basis in morality or US law

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

@@Anvilman So if I'm understanding you correctly, asking questions, speaking the truth, and providing facts and evidence is, according to, being "xenophobic"? LOL! We specifically zero in on a particular race of people *not* based on discrimination, racism, or xenophobia but rather based on the factual evidence that clearly shows the vast majority of that certain race are trying to illegally enter into this country. That's not discrimination, racism, or xenophobia. That is a completely sane and logical deduction based on factual evidence and a perfectly reasonable and legitimate question to ask anyone who illegally crosses the border with children. Is this your child? Yes. Prove it. Uuuhhhh.... Then for the safety and welfare of the child we are going to have to temporarily separate you until it has been ascertained that this child does in fact belong to and that you are who you claim to be. Get it? If an individual does not have any respect for a country's borders and/or it's laws and just comes right on in and then makes a piss poor excuse like "I'm here to work" or "I have children with me" will no doubt raise some serious questions that will need to be answered. Just because it makes you *feel* like it's xenophobia, it actually isn't. Please. Grow up already will yeah and grow a friggin backbone while you're at it too. smh.... And neither of you still didn't answer the question either.

[@justchecking3139]

Those kids all most likely have PTSD. How American are we really? What a great Liberty we are.

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

Do you believe in maintaining and protecting the security and integrity of our borders and the safety and welfare of children?

[@Viperzka]

And he didn't even talk about the rampant drugging of the children to keep them calm, or the fact that they were forced to recite the pledge of allegiance to the country that stripped them from their parents. Anyone who participated in this needs to be tried for crimes against humanity.

[@chickensangwich97]

You're absolutely right. And they won't, because the US has never joined the International Criminal Court, for fear of being held accountable for our very real and documented war crimes and crimes against humanity. That's fucked up, but it is so far down on my list of priorities right now. Vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote.

[@Lucien-si5yx]

Damn that's crazy, do you have a source on that?

[@a2falcone]

As a law student who took a class on international criminal law, I assure you, this is a crime against humanity. And I guess it's a crime under US law too.

[@amorphuc]

@@Lucien-si5yx Pretty well known. Google is your friend.

[@behemoth97123]

Like leah said. Wheres your source? You cant make a statement like that and not back it up with facts.

[@lucasyang4178]

holy shit... that ending was powerful

[@JD2jr.]

Yeah, that kid reacted how I did every time my parents wouldn't let me eat candy; the horror! There's some major shit happening that sucks. But making the jump to "everyone is racist but me" and exploiting an upset kid for sympathy makes this a crock of shit.

[@GoofyToony]

James Dreger I’m sorry you can’t understand the situation maybe it’s time you understand empathy.

[@ccampau]

Yeah it was. Usually you come away with some silly buy hilariously clever thing. This was real life drama. Well done Oliver.

[@trishjean-louis6215]

Wow, John's passion at the end was moving.

[@CarlosGarcia-pv6jf]

It’s worth watching this video again especially now because when John said that “horrifically we may actually be about to do it again” IT IS happening again with the situation on the Southern Border. I’m pretty sure that sooner or later John will give an update to this horrible situation. Keep up the good work John.

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

Do you believe in protecting the security and integrity of our borders and the safety and welfare of children?

[@yiravarga]

Seeing politics ruin children’s lives is the sickest thing imaginable. I’m a Romanian adoptee, a direct result of corrupt politics, and my life has been difficult. No one deserves the suffering that comes with attachment trauma.

[@velelimaka9040]

his mom ruin children’s lives

[@TheSpecialPsycho]

I know that this is going to make me seem weird to ask, or aware of my ignorance, but what's attachment trauma?

[@Alexandru_Iacobescu]

@@velelimaka9040 If you put a gun to the head of a person and say if you don't give me your money you are dead, he refused to give you his money and you kill him and your defence is that he killed himself because he refused you. That is what you are saying. The state response to a misdemeanor was to kidnap your child for a month. But it was the mother's fault? We are all responsible for our decisions, that mother and son will be forever sorry for the decisions that lead them to that situation but the stat, people in power and supporters of this will forever be the ones that pulled the trigger and gave an overwhelming bad response to poor people that just wanted a better life for their children.

[@LordTyrion]

One might wonder why would anyone put their children through the trauma of moving into completely different culture illegally. Knowing that they might get separated from their children for a long time for committing a crime makes them not only complicit in traumatizing their children but the sole perpetrators as well. You wouldn't blame the drill for making a large hole in your forehead if you've pushed it hard against you head either.

[@hasanoye]

@@LordTyrion they do it because where they come from drug cartels kidnap their children, murder people like they are flies and living there is more dangerous than taking a risk and entering other country illegally. You are either too naïve or too stupid to understand this.

[@opus4rv]

NO PARENT would make a dangerous and long trip like this with their kids if it wasn't absolutely necessary. Why the hell would any mother pick up a 2 or 3 year old child and make a trip, on foot for thousands of miles? Why would they do that if their families weren't in imminent danger? You cannot claim yourself to be a decent human being and approve of this policy. What kind of law or policy supercedes your ability to actually be a decent human? I'm sure the people who approve of this have no problem opening their Bibles and loving the story of the Good Samaritan.

[@horrorlover927]

C Gollum but their clothes look clean 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🙄🙄🙄🙄

[@calebpeterson3117]

Why is the problem the country everyone wants to come to and not the countries they're fleeing?

[@drat717]

I’m from Central America, and I have seen people choosing the ”communism will work this time” candidate, and then flying the country when obviously didn’t worked. So what the US is doing is terrible but what those people did to their own country is also terrible. There should be an immigration law and there should be human aid, but the adults walking to the USA are not victims or criminal exclusively , are a little bit of both

[@badbanana0]

So no blame at all to the parent that put their child in this situation in the first place? Its all Trump and the governments fault?

[@daBuzzY90]

@@drat717 Russian troll masquerading as a south american, you've been warned.

[@Srikstar]

This was a heart breaking episode. John, rightly, got so annoyed and possibly made all of us viewers so angry and emotionally charged, than ever before. This is possibly the Best Television content out there. J.Oliver we love you and may you continue the good fight ❤️👍🙏🙏

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

John Oliver is a comedian generalizing information read from a teleprompter in order for it to fit into his comedic act. I like this show too but it seriously needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

[@astrowolvez]

@@_BenJaminCroft_ just going to ignore the child traumatized and crying. That is real. Several children been through this then and now. Oh, and he has a team of researchers who fact check everything and if you don’t believe it can look it up yourself.

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

@@astrowolvez That kid was crying and saying those things because his mother obviously disciplined him (fyi whooped his ass) and now he's pitching a fit over it. Why did the video all of a sudden jump from him acting up before bedtime, to him balling his eyes out? What a curious, interesting and troubling phenomenon. Where's the unedited footage? It reminds of that time when that gun control documentary came out, "Under the Gun". It gathered a group of gun advocates together and when they were asked a question, the video was edited in such a way that it showed a full 30 seconds of an awkward silence, to insinuate a "GOTCHA" moment and to make gun advocates appear to be stupid. In reality they immediately responded to the question with good, credible, rational answers. But that was only after gun advocates boycotted the hell out of the studio who sponsored the making of that so called "documentary" and then the unedited footage reluctantly came out.

[@MsWarnabrotha]

I've never seen John so angry, and you can tell after the video of that poor little boy and his mother, he's almost in tears. It broke my heart then and it breaks my heart now.

[@MinersLoveGames]

Remember when the wall was the biggest thing we had to worry about?

[@PitLord777]

It's still Trump's biggest worry actually. I saw some US comments saying they get ads of Trump begging them money for the wall.

[@tjr3145]

Why are you worried about a wall?

[@marjorie168]

Or the color of a suit. (Flash back to the Obama days..)

[@mickey8643]

I miss when fancy mustard was the big deal

[@yattaguru]

Pepperidge farm remembers

[@ohnosmoarlulcatz]

I hate how insane troll logic has become the norm.

[@Quarksi]

Yeah just 3 years ago we were all laughing in 2015, making memes, people saying "it was on the internet, it isn't real people aren't actually like that" Turns out the racist trolls weren't trolling.

[@christiansab0rlatin061]

😭😭😭😭😭😭

[@riotbreaker3506]

Trump used to be a meme, and now he's a dead meme. One we can't get rid of.

[@MH-ty7fb]

Remember when he was running for election and we said, “There’s no way people are actually stupid enough to elect that orange buffoon?” And here we are in idiocracy.

[@nathanielgrey4091]

14 kids were missing and we didn't even know. How!? Easy They are brown

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

No. Human traffickers paying off the child service and immigration agencies.

[@GEOGUY-iv5qr]

@@_BenJaminCroft_ Evidence?

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

@@chrisstoltz3648 www.cbp.gov/border-security/human-trafficking (human trafficking at the border) inhomelandsecurity.com/sex-trafficking-border/ (Sex trafficking at the border) www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-border-patrol-dna-20180508-htmlstory.html (Migrants are not always related) helenaglass.net/2018/06/21/border-crossing-child-trafficking/ (Illegal border crossings = child trafficking) While drug trafficking is the most common crime however it is followed closely by bribery and human smuggling because it is more difficult and complicated to smuggle people vs drugs, guns and money.

[@KingBoomBox]

BenJamin Croft Yeah instead on focusing on that and the made up scare of the Caraven we are putting children in cages.

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

@@KingBoomBox Can you honestly sit there and tell me with a straight face and prove beyond any reasonable doubt, that the majority of people's actions and claims for asylum, who are in that caravan, fall within the parameters of what are laws stipulate? How can you find that out if they just *force* their way across our border and bypass customs? And these are detention centers. As in jails, penitentiaries, a place of incarceration. They are not meant to be pretty or nice in order to suit your emotional needs. And they are free to leave any time they want.

[@Aidan_ODonnell]

“that’s right, ive got you business daddy, ive got you so good. what are you gonna do about it? i’m right here!” I still reference this line today 😂😂😂

[@dinrufarore]

The thing about that ending that gets me is that Jenri's mother clearly loves him. What Jenri went through was so deeply traumatic that he had to believe she did /not/ love him because that was the only way his poor brain could make sense of what was going on. It's a defence mechanism. A very young child believing he is unloved by the being his brain associates with everything good in the world is EASIER for him to process and accept than the reality of the situation. THAT is how horrific this is. And he's not alone. It's just easier to empathise with a video of a single crying kid than a clinical observation of trauma and attachment.

[@voncho1127]

HAHAHA. Some mother, Call me heartless but I didn't feel anything for that child's tears. Remember they were caught illegally crossing the border, and making such a rough journey is no joyride for the kid. By turning them back you save more kids by dissuading would be crossers from living the american nightmare, and dent the human traffickers who squeeze these people of everything they have to get to the U.S. Minor point, that kid has every reason to cry that mommy doesn't love me for putting him through all that trauma in the first place. Also don't forget that they use with their kids to draw on your sympathy. Even if you let everyone in, who will mind them? Where's the money going to come from? Will you pay higher taxes? Good, then allow more to come in, more government aid, more taxpayer dollars and of course they have to find jobs so that's one local who is denied employment. Labor Supply exceeds Demand and you have lower wages plus higher taxes. You're Welcome. By Not a US Citizen.

[@dinrufarore]

@@voncho1127 I'm not an economist like you apparently are, but 1. I would happily pay higher taxes to help basically literally anyone have a better quality of life, that's just what taxes should be for in my book, and 2. It's not the kid's faults. They do not deserve this regardless of anything else you might think about the parents. I do not agree with your stance on immigration here, but I believe no child deserves to be traumatized due to the mistakes or failings of their parents. (And yes, I realize that such traumas are extraordinarily common to the point of being too mundane to mention in most cases)

[@ruonanzhao5508]

Vonchos point being “I’m from one the worst ranked country in the world. I didn’t seek asylum because it’s a deficient system. Therefore people who did seek asylum absolutely deserve the suffer now because they made the choice themselves. Kids should hate their parents because their parents tried to look for the possibly of a better life but failed and therefore they are selfish heartless human beings”

[@ruonanzhao5508]

Some people pretend they really care from the kids perspectives but in fact they are just jealous and glad that people who have tried what that didn’t dare failed miserably. It’s gives them a reason to not regret their life choices at night.

[@TriangleChloros]

@@voncho1127 I, on the other hand, *do* have an economics degree, which is how I know that demand for labour is not static. Shocking as it may be, immigrants buy things. Even illegal immigrants eat*. Which creates demand for goods and services, which have to be made using labour. Pretty much every study says that all but the absolute *least* educated immigrants can be expected to pay more in taxes than they recieve in government funds. And to have a neutral-to-positive impact on native wages and employment. It is legitimately quite hard to find work on this subject published in the last five years or so, simply because it's just been done repeatedly, but here's an article from 2007: ideas.repec.org/p/crm/wpaper/0711.html *Those who do not quickly cease to be a problem.

[@nicholascisternino4760]

I realize this show is classified as a comedy. but I don't laugh much, I get upset, frustrated, scared, overall pissed. John Oliver is brilliant at explaining and exposing just what a mess the minority of this country who were conned by Trump in to voting for him and as a result, this country is unreconizable and no longer respected by any of our allies. we are in grave danger because of this know nothing simpleton.

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

You're right. This country is unrecognizable and no longer respected by our allies because of leftwing, SJW, democratic, liberals like you.

[@nicholascisternino4760]

@@_BenJaminCroft_ are you a russian troll? don't be mad at me because your hero and his family are heading to prison.

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

@@nicholascisternino4760 He's not my hero. And why would he be sent to prison?

[@nicholascisternino4760]

@@_BenJaminCroft_ shoo fly, shooo....

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

@@nicholascisternino4760 What's wrong? Can't support your claim? Typical, smh.... I'm like an annoying gnat at a barbecue bitch.

[@abdallahcenation]

This was hard to watch. They are basically tearing your country apart. Thank you mr Oliver. I learn so much about the world through your videos.

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

LOL! You actually get your information about the world abroad via a comedy show?!?!? WTF OVER!?!? LOL!! And millennials wonder why nobody wants to back them.

[@abdallahcenation]

@@_BenJaminCroft_ first im not american you dumbass, so I dont even need to know any of this. Second, dont tell me you know everything that this show talks about, come on you're just making a fool out of yourself. And third, millenial? Like how old are you anyway? Judging by that response it doesnt matter cuz you're just an internet idiot with shit for a brain.

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

@@abdallahcenation First, I never said you were American and you don't have to be an American in order to watch this show either. If you have the internet and/or HBO then you're free to watch this show. Duh. smh.... Second, actually I do know more than what this show is propagating. For example, to establish eligibility for asylum or refugee status, you must prove you are either the victim of past persecution or you have a well-founded fear of future persecution. In the case of past persecution, you must prove that you were persecuted in your home country or last country of residence. The persecution must have been based on at least one of five grounds, either your: •race •religion •nationality •political opinion, or •membership in a particular social group. Illegally crossing the border and then making a piss-poor excuse like "I'm here to work." or "I was attacked by gangs." or "I have children with me." in order to claim asylum or refugee status is not gonna cut it. *A FACT this show either didn't know or they conveniently neglected to mention it.* www.alllaw.com/articles/nolo/us-immigration/who-eligible-asylum-refugee-protection.html (asylum eligibility) Also, *there never is and there never was a "law"* telling the Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), or even the Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS); that after catching and detaining illegal alien parents with children, to then separate these children from their parents. There isn't even a blanket policy or procedure either. WTF OVER!?!? The FACT of the matter is, is that these agencies do have a responsibility to *protect minors who are in their custody.* This means that the Border Patrol, CBP, ICE, and even DHS will only separate adults and minors under *certain circumstances.* These circumstances include: 1) When the agency is unable to determine the familial relationship 2) When the agency determines that a child may be at risk with the parent or legal guardian, or 3) When the parent or legal guardian is referred for criminal prosecution. Familial Relationship - If there is reason to question the claimed familial relationship between an adult and child, it is not appropriate to detain adults and children together. Human Trafficking and Smuggling - If there is reason to suspect the purported parent or legal guardian of human trafficking or smuggling, the agency detains the adult in an appropriate, secure detection facility, separate from the minor. The agency continues to see instances and intelligence reports indicating minors are trafficked by unrelated adults, posing as a “family” in an effort to avoid detention. Safety Risk - If there is reason to suspect the purported parent or legal guardian poses a safety risk to the child (e.g. suspected child abuse), it is not appropriate to maintain the adult and child together. Criminal Prosecution - If an adult is referred for criminal prosecution, the adult will be transferred to U.S. Marshals Service custody and any children will be classified as an unaccompanied alien child and transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services custody. *Yet another FACT that this show either didn't know or they conveniently neglected to mention it.* www.dhs.gov/news/2018/06/18/myth-vs-fact-dhs-zero-tolerance-policy (Trump's zero tolerance bs) www.cbp.gov/border-security/human-trafficking (human trafficking at the border) inhomelandsecurity.com/sex-trafficking-border/ (Sex trafficking at the border) www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-border-patrol-dna-20180508-htmlstory.html (Migrants are not always related) helenaglass.net/2018/06/21/border-crossing-child-trafficking/ (Illegal border crossings = child trafficking) And I can keep going. Third, obviously I'm *not* an internet idiot with shit for brains who's making a fool out themself. Judging from your post and your response it's easily deductible that you are just another SJW millennial who has been emotionally manipulated by this propaganda. Next time know and understand what is you're talking about before you start opening your emotionally charged mouth. Do some friggin research next time will yeah. Believe in half of what you see and nothing you hear.

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

@@abdallahcenation LOL! What's the matter snowflake? Triggered? LOL! But I can care less. Keep getting your knowledge about the world from a comedy show. LOL! Keep getting emotionally manipulated by all this propaganda so you can't even think straight anymore. LOL! "The recipe for perpetual ignorance is: Be satisfied with your opinions and content with your knowledge." - Elbert Hubbard

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

@@abdallahcenation "Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance." - George Bernard Shaw

[@nowan71730]

Never felt so freaking HELPLESS in my life!!!!

[@amirhamzahothman]

Dear John Oliver and members of Last Week Tonight, Thank you, and keep up the good work.

[@reincarN8ed]

"People from the Middle East." I can at least appreciate the bold-faced racism in that ad.

[@ahmedsadoon949]

lel

[@johndanielson3777]

They might as well have said “Brown People are coming.”

[@chandlerschneider1452]

Racism at its finest and most vulgar

[@youteubakount4449]

they almost could have said the "people" from the Middle East at this point

[@themollymachine]

I can't. You sound dumb af

[@peterwight3918]

17:21 - the way he says "fully" is super Birmingham-esque

[@matthewr23]

I would argue that this is the best segment Oliver has done. It’s powerful, passionate, and motivating, we cannot allow this to happen again.

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

Can you honestly sit there and tell me with a straight face that these children do in fact, beyond any reasonable doubt, actually belong to these so called "parents" and that their claims for asylum fall within the parameters of what the law stipulates?

[@Homerosish]

Land of the free, home of the brave... Woop woop

[@mehakbhatia1594]

*womp womp

[@BeastGuardian]

No kidding, to see that this is what our national face has become. That sad trombone 'waah waaaah' just broke me a little inside. How can a human being lack any empathy?

[@LadyAneh]

This is sarcasm, yes?

[@seamusallen3839]

😂

[@p.s6742]

*Woop woop indeed!!!*

[@IzzytheMelody]

I've only seen John Oliver get that genuinely angry twice. And the first time I found it funny Now I'm angry, upset, and sort of hallow inside because of that video. And I'm assuming that's exactly how he feels. This video isn't one of his funny joke bits. It's something truly depressing, as it should be.

[@matthiasvanogtrop1754]

I completely agree. Just out of curiosity, what was the first time you saw him this angry?

[@thomasgelke6586]

do american kids go to prison with their parents?

[@krakenhunters9754]

@Matthias van Ogtrop His show on mental illness is the only other time I've seen him this angry at the end of his video.

[@SnowCat-nu7gj]

@@thomasgelke6586 did you watch the whole video man, he addressed that

[@khm8910]

@@thomasgelke6586 Did you watch the whole video before commenting?

[@auressem]

I work with kids in the CPS/DCF system here, and the similarity between the attachment trauma of that little boy and the trauma of youth in state custody is uncanny - but it makes sense. The betrayal and agony of a child separated from their guardian - it is unspeakable, and it is universal. And it is lasting. I've only been able to watch this episode fully once...this time I had to stop when they got to the part about how we should be able to locate kids in the any kid in the system...I know that in non-border-immigration systems, we can't even do this. Whatever patchwork program they came up with for these families will surely be even more egregious. We (as in, "the public") won't understand the extent of how horribly we traumatized these children and families for decades.

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

Can you prove, beyond any reasonable doubt, that these children do in fact belong to these so called "families/parents" and that their actions and claims fall within the parameters of what the laws stipulate?

[@SZRLM]

I do love when John snaps. This wasn't the strongest case of it, but its still pleasing to see.

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

Don't forget that John Oliver is a comedian/actor who generalizes information from a teleprompter in order for it to fit into his comedic performance.

[@lovemusicbandchorus]

As time goes on, you can see John's cool is starting to slip, and frankly its 100% warranted.

[@andrewwasson5800]

He was rightly, so close to crying talking about that poor child.

[@alinblaj]

@@andrewwasson5800 as a father of a 2 year old son, I had tears in my eyes when that kid told her mother that he wants to go to jail and that she is not his mom.

[@lapislazuli06]

You can hear it too, and I feel the same way 😩😠

[@kiyoponnn]

@@alinblaj Do you even know english?

[@Vero-jz5ex]

@@kiyoponnn literally all his comments in this thread are perfect english??

[@JadoDog]

One argument that can potentially be used to help his base see the light: By doing this to children, it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. You're afraid of criminals invading the country? Maybe don't traumatize children to a point to where they can potentially hate the people who did it to them. By trying to reduce criminal intent in this manner, you're actually potentially creating more of them.

[@DeannaJacksonDJsDelectables]

THIS!

[@kaysbaby88]

👏🏽👏🏽 this is exactly what i was thinking. thank you for mentioning it as the irony is gut-wrenching.

[@christiankettlewell]

When he said he wanted to go back to the jail, it made me wonder how many have been locked up long enough to condition them into wanting that for themselves repeatedly. It’s no secret that people who’ve spent long periods in confinement do things to return to prison because they can’t function within society / life there is more what they know.

[@jabberw0k812]

A good point, of course. But the people who should listen the most are already convinced that these foreigners are criminals by nature, not regular humans, which makes the treatment of them irrelevant. Just as some are convinced that people from the Middle East are naturally terrorists, rather than driven to extremism by decades of violence and foreign interference. And as long as so many authority figures in the country keep confirming these racist assumptions, it's going to be difficult to change anyone's mind.

[@Ravi-xf8dw]

They did same with middle east.

[@abookishmess]

I watch this clip the least. Not because it's bad. It's so sad and powerful that it just makes me sad. This is one of his best and he makes the least amount of jokes because this is the most outrageous policy.

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

*There never is and there never was a "law"* telling the Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), or even the Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS); that after catching and detaining illegal alien parents with children, to then separate these children from their parents. There isn't even a blanket policy or procedure either. WTF OVER!?! The FACT of the matter is, is that these agencies do have a responsibility to *protect minors who are in their custody.* This means that the Border Patrol, CBP, ICE, and even DHS will only separate adults and minors under *certain circumstances.* These circumstances include: 1) When the agency is unable to determine the familial relationship 2) When the agency determines that a child may be at risk with the parent or legal guardian, or 3) When the parent or legal guardian is referred for criminal prosecution. Familial Relationship - If there is reason to question the claimed familial relationship between an adult and child, it is not appropriate to detain adults and children together. Human Trafficking and Smuggling - If there is reason to suspect the purported parent or legal guardian of human trafficking or smuggling, the agency detains the adult in an appropriate, secure detection facility, separate from the minor. The agency continues to see instances and intelligence reports indicating minors are trafficked by unrelated adults, posing as a “family” in an effort to avoid detention. Safety Risk - If there is reason to suspect the purported parent or legal guardian poses a safety risk to the child (e.g. suspected child abuse), it is not appropriate to maintain the adult and child together. Criminal Prosecution - If an adult is referred for criminal prosecution, the adult will be transferred to U.S. Marshals Service custody and any children will be classified as an unaccompanied alien child and transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services custody. www.dhs.gov/news/2018/06/18/myth-vs-fact-dhs-zero-tolerance-policy (Trump's zero tolerance bs)

[@MarkShepard]

Beautifully said and point powerfully made. and sadly, look at how this issue has once again disappeared from the headlines.

[@rhettwoods7393]

I can hear the voice of my own son in that clip. How can anyone hear that and not feel empathy? How can any parent not feel mortified? Is that who we are? Is that the price of national self interest? Tormenting a child. How long until that heartbreak heals? Does it ever? I can’t imagine being that mother. I don’t want to imagine that, because it’s a horror movie scene and I really don’t want to believe it actually happened. But it did and my life is diminished for the knowledge. I am going to hug my son extra tightly after work today.

[@_BenJaminCroft_]

We do the same thing to American parents who put the safety and welfare of their child in danger too. But when illegal immigrants do it?

[@chellise4841]

@@_BenJaminCroft_ actually, we dont. if you knew *anything* about the foster care system youd know that they dont lock you in cells and force you away from your parents indefinitely and also fucking lose your location. the foster care system takes children and puts them in filed, registered homes. theres a shot in the dark whether or not that place is even remotely good for a child but thats why we have psychotherapy, we need to change that system as well but my point is you dont actually know what youre talking about, just diverting attention. Source: was in the foster care system for 10 years

[@murdeoc]

@@_BenJaminCroft_ They were taking their children out of danger you ignorant twat. These people dont travel thousands of miles with small children bc they were angry about fucking Starbucks cups at christmas.

[@danib577]

You don't even need to be a parent to just feel a gut punch from that clip. This isn't a crime against these people, it's a crime against humanity. Those responsible for this need to sit in jail and think about what they did for a long while.

[@rhettwoods7393]

BenJamin Croft I won’t debate your point. You certainly are correct that the system acts in at least a similar fashion when detaining an adult with children. I also find that somewhat appealing and my heart goes out to the children. In all cases, even in such times as the alternative is terrible. I weep for all children subjected to any horror because, in some way, I see them as my own. I admit my empathy might be a failing. I won’t argue with you because my position comes from a place of profound emotional distress and that’s no starting ground for anything other that a failed argument. But I still have to wonder, in a case when a mother and not a hardened gang banger male in MS13, is detained and separated from her 6 year old son for an extended period, didn’t the clip say a month, if that is what we owe our fellow human beings? I understand the opposing point. I’m also not able to offer a solution. I don’t know what the answer might be. I have none. None of that makes seeing something like that any less heartbreaking to experience. Unlike others I refuse to resort to name calling. You are blessedly free to offer opposing views. This is a public forum and I’d be foolish to think I wouldn’t be challenged. On that note I do thank you for the commentary. This nation fails entirely if we cannot agree to disagree. However I am the proverbial “bleeding heart liberal” and I am viscerally affected by a clip such as we saw. I make no apologies for being true to myself, nor do I fault you for challenging me to think. Blessed be.

[@SKtube0]

How the hell did we end up like this? The other day, I happened to catch my neighbor lowering his American flag down from his flagpole. Asked if something was up since he rarely lowers it, and he said he doesn't feel like a proud American and hasn't for a while and recent political events were just the last straw. Mind you, this is a white man who's also a Marine vet.

[@V9incent]

Well, he finally matured ;) .

[@hazukichanx408]

To truly love one's country, and protect it, one also has to look at that country and ask, from time to time, "Have we lost our way?" ...America has lost its way right now. I hope you all find it again soon, and I'm sure the people willing to open their eyes to the hard truths will be indispensible in that. ...The people going "Best country forever, shutupshutupshutup"... not so much.

[@54545flipperdipper]

S K smart man I found blind patriotism grossly inappropriate. And just plain stupid..

[@SKtube0]

@@54545flipperdipper He is. Not your average "Jarhead". Graduated from Chapman University before joining the service, so he went in as an academically educated Officer, which he'll tell you, made him a better soldier. We both believe that in general, America is still the best country overall, but she's going through a tough time and leads in categories that aren't worth boasting about. I think it's great to be patriotic as long as you understand that patriotism is a fluid concept for many people and right now, it's difficult to define. And like you said, blind patriotism can lead to unwanted consequences. I'm just glad my neighbor isn't so one-sided and can understand the optics and can be realistic about what America should strive for.

[@SKtube0]

@@V9incent He's always been mature. He's put in 20 years of active service after graduating from a good school and passing up a chance to lead an "easy" life where he could have made lots of money instead of sacrificing his life, so you can sit there behind a computer screen and type rude comments. What have YOU done lately? You don't trash a veteran. Especially not today on Veteran's Day. The hell's the matter with you?

[@mercy5004]

coming back from April 2019, and i find it HILARIOUS that he said he could find "any child with a few keystokes in the system", while TODAY it's been released that they are trying to find hundreds of children to reunite them with their parents, and they have NO IDEA where they are. So much for keystrokes

[@tabbycat2154]

17:25 It's honestly sad that it makes me so happy to see someone so visibly angry about this topic because I don't see it enough

[@thepassionofthegoose5472]

The last sentence of this segment is applaud worthy.

[@Achw3l]

That was so powerful, I almost teared up