As ICE raids and anti-immigration crackdowns continue to escalate nationwide, writer-director Paul Feig made a $100,000 donation to the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), he shared with TheWrap Monday.
Founded in 1979, the NILC advocates and fights for low-income immigrants and their families throughout the country. In a statement to TheWrap, Feig called the heightened persecution of immigrants in Los Angeles and beyond “inhumane and cruel.”
“The inhumane and cruel persecution of immigrants in our communities is unconscionable and unacceptable,” he said. “In Los Angeles and across the country, the hardworking people we interact with every day are sincere in their desire to build a rewarding life in the U.S. for themselves and their families. Their pursuit of the American Dream is precisely what our country was built on. After all, what’s more American than trying to make it in America?”
The filmmaker then called on the country’s leaders to embrace the immigrant experience.
“Instead of stoking fear and resentment, our country’s leaders should pursue immigration policies based on a fundamental truth: immigrants make us stronger,” he said.
Before he was elected, President Donald Trump vowed to increase pressure on deporting undocumented immigrants as a significant focus of his campaign. Since his inauguration in January, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids have occurred publicly and frequently, with documented and undocumented immigrants alike fearing for their safety from the often-masked agents.
A University of Southern California graduate, Feig made a name for himself when he created the cult classic comedy series “Freaks and Geeks.” He directed a number of episodes of successful comedy shows following “Freaks and Geeks,” including “The Office” and “Arrested Devel0pment.” From there, he launched a successful career in film as a comedy writer/director, helming such projects as “Bridesmaids,” “Spy,” “A Simple Favor” and 2016’s “Ghostbusters.” Most recently, “Another Simple Favor” premiered in March.
Feig’s NILC donations follows a $300,000 contributor The Trevor Project, Translifeline.org and It Gets Better — all queer advocacy organizations — earlier this year. In mid-June, the filmmaker took to social media to condemn the Trump administration’s shuttering of suicide prevention services for members of the LGBTQ community.
LA recently found itself at the center of national conversation, as Trump deployed the national guard to stem protests against ICE activity. In June, the Los Angeles Dodgers committed $1 million in donations to immigrant families.
In a statement to TheWrap on Feig’s donation, Kica Matos, the organization’s president, said, “Now more than ever, we need Americans from all walks of life to step up and fight to support vulnerable immigrants. Not only are they under attack, but the path to authoritarianism is being built on their backs. We are grateful for Paul’s generous support, as it will help continue to fuel our advocacy – not just in support of low income immigrants, but also our democracy.”
The Ankler first reported the news.
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