Daily Show Mocks Americans Illegally In Mexico, But Applauds Minneapolis Protests

Alex Christy
February 13th, 2026 10:02 AM

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Thursday's episode of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show had a remarkable double standard on the idea of illegal immigration. On one hand, Americans living illegally in Mexico were sarcastically mocked and denounced for not assimilating into the local culture and having a negative economic impact, but later, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey joined host-of-the-week Jordan Klepper to lead a standing ovation for the Minneapolis protestors denouncing immigration enforcement.

While sitting in a two-bedroom apartment that one can rent for $600 per month, correspondent Grace Kuhlenschmidt sarcastically asked Carla, a member of Frente Anti-Gentrification CDMX, “Okay, Carla, let’s get down to what’s really important. What do you think of this place? I'm thinking of relocating, and I want to really love it.”

Carla, who was also wearing a mask and decked out in anti-ICE apparel, mourned, “I mean, that is the main issue. You come in here with dollars and price us out because we can't compete with that. And at the same time, there have been many cases of evictions of places to be turned into kind of like this, Airbnbs.”

 

 

She also mourned the loss of local traditions such as spicy foods, and “Sometimes you do hear more Spanish in Brooklyn, you know, than you do here in Condesa.”

Eventually, Carla declared, “There’s always going to be that exchange of cultures and migration, of movement. We just want you to do it in a way that you’re not making us lose our homes.”

In a voiceover, Kuhlenschmidt proclaimed, “Okay, that actually sounds reasonable, but is this much message from the protesters getting through to [American] Henley [Worthen], or is she guzzling down enough tequila to drown it out?”

A tone-deaf Worthen confidently asserted, “Most of our friends that are from here are doctors or lawyers or business owners, and from what I have heard from them, it is generally more of the low-income people that are protesting.”

Sarcastic as ever, Kuhlenschmidt pretended to agree, “It is heartwarming to know that at least we are not gentrifying rich people out of their neighborhoods. Phew.”

In another voiceover, Kuhlenschmidt wondered if she could “bridge the gap” between Worthen and Carla, which led to another clip of the latter urging Worthen to “try and respect us, try and learn some Spanish, and start paying taxes.”

A quick cut to Worthen showed her bragging, “I'm not paying Mexican taxes because I pay American taxes and don't have legal status here, and you know, what's the point?”

Still sarcastic, Kuhlenschmidt played along, “The point is to contribute to the people and infrastructure in which the city that you live but TBH it’s so much paperwork, so I get it. Why would you?”

Later in the show, Klepper welcomed Frey and wondered, “Border czar Tom Homan said that he is withdrawing ICE agents from Minneapolis? He says he has talked to Donald Trump and that Operation Metro Surge is over. Is that really happening? Where are we at with that?”

Frey then led the audience in a standing ovation for the demonstrators, “I will believe it when I see it. And, if you are looking for anybody to give credit to for the end of Operation Metro Surge, for the pressure that was put on the federal government, for these incredible, patriotic acts that have taken place over the last month and a half, give it to the 435,000 Minneapolis residents that have stood up. I mean, they are truly an inspiration.”

 

 

He further declared, “I mean, they are the defenders of this great republic in this moment. I mean, they are everything that it means to be an American."

Klepper concurred, “It has been remarkable to see what the protesters have been doing in Minneapolis. Tom Homan called this a success. I'm curious what conversations you had with Homan, what concessions you had to make. Like, what was given up for Tom Homan to feel this was a success?”

Frey answered, “Well, first off, we did not capitulate. We did not back down. Clearly, look, this was not about safety from the very beginning. This was not about immigration. This was about creating a political narrative about a Democratic city in a Democratic state and trying to show that these are places of chaos… what American cities can show right now is that we do not act like the federal government does. We stand up for our constituents, and we are going to do right by them.”

The worst part about The Daily Show’s double standard is that they appear to recognize it. They just simply don’t care. In her report, Kuhlenschmidt narrated over B-roll footage of Tucker Carlson, “Like your racist uncle, she was mad things aren't the way they used to be.”

Here is a transcript for the February 12 show:

Comedy Central The Daily Show

2/12/2026

11:47 PM ET

GRACE KUHLENSCHMIDT: Okay, Carla, let’s get down to what’s really important. What do you think of this place? I'm thinking of relocating, and I want to really love it.

CARLA: I mean, that is the main issue. You come in here with dollars and price us out because we can't compete with that. And at the same time, there have been many cases of evictions of places to be turned into kind of like this, Airbnbs.

KUHLENSCHMIDT: Carla was clearly giving some get off my lawn energy.

CLINT EASTWOOD/WALT KOWALSKI: Did you hear me? I said get off my lawn.

KUHLENSCHMIDT: And like your racist uncle, she was mad things aren't the way they used to be.

CARLA: Even the culture itself is changing at its core. Sometimes you do hear more Spanish in Brooklyn, you know, than you do here in Condesa.

KUHLENSCHMIDT: You said “Condesa”? Now is that a cool neighborhood where there's matcha places? C-O-N-D-E-S-A?

CARLA: One of the main issues is that—like salsas are not spicy anymore because they're catering to the gentrified palette.

KUHLENSCHMIDT: And I'm not arguing, I'm just saying a gentrified palette is the reason we do have the culinary delicacy of ranch.

CARLA: I want the opportunity to have a bigger cultural—like traditions. Of ranch.

KUHLENSCHMIDT: Thank you.

CARLA: There’s always going to be that exchange of cultures and migration, of movement. We just want you to do it in a way that you’re not making us lose our homes.

KUHLENSCHMIDT: Okay, that actually sounds reasonable, but is this much message from the protesters getting through to Henley or is she guzzling down enough tequila to drown it out?

HENLEY WORTHEN: Most of our friends that are from here are doctors or lawyers or business owners, and from what I have heard from them, it is generally more of the low-income people that are protesting.

KUHLENSCHMIDT: It is heartwarming to know that at least we are not gentrifying rich people out of their neighborhoods. Phew.

Maybe I could bridge the gap.

How should these digital nomads behave so that these gringos can turn it into "gring-stays"? I worked really hard on that joke.

CARLA: Try and respect us, try and learn some Spanish, and start paying taxes.

WORTHEN: I'm not paying Mexican taxes because I pay American taxes and don't have legal status here, and you know, what's the point?

KUHLENSCHMIDT: The point is to contribute to the people and infrastructure in which the city that you live but TBH it’s so much paperwork, so I get it. Why would you?

CARLA: Many of them come and they call themselves expats because they don’t want to take that name of “migrant.”

WORTHEN: I don’t feel like a migrant. I feel like an expat.

KUHLENSCHMIDT: Why don't you feel like a migrant?

WORTHEN: Isn't a migrant, like, someone who, like, because I am a migrant. I’m a fricking migrant.

KUHLENSCHMIDT: You’re—Say it proud!

WORTHEN: I'm a migrant!

KUHLENSCHMIDT: You just made every single person in Texas hate you.

***

JORDAN KLEPPER: Let's start with what happened this morning. Border czar Tom Homan said that he is withdrawing ICE agents from Minneapolis? He says he has talked to Donald Trump and that Operation Metro Surge is over. Is that really happening? Where are we at with that?

JACOB FREY: I will believe it when I see it. And, if you are looking for anybody to give credit to for the end of Operation Metro Surge, for the pressure that was put on the federal government, for these incredible, patriotic acts that have taken place over the last month and a half, give it to the 435,000 Minneapolis residents that have stood up. I mean, they are truly an inspiration. They have been protesting peacefully by the tens of thousands, they've been dropping off food for people that are otherwise scared to go outside and leave their homes. They are watching guard on a day care.

I mean, they are the defenders of this great republic in this moment. I mean, they are everything that it means to be an American.

KLEPPER: It has been remarkable to see what the protesters have been doing in Minneapolis.

FREY: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

KLEPPER: Tom Homan called this a success. I'm curious, what conversations you had with Homan, what concessions you had to make. Like, what was given up for Tom Homan to feel this was a success?

FREY: Well, first off, we did not capitulate. We did not back down. Clearly, look, this was not about safety from the very beginning. This was not about immigration. This was about creating a political narrative about a Democratic city in a Democratic state and trying to show that these are places of chaos.

But what we showed is that we're not going to back down. We're not going to get bullied. And the reality is, is that when you've got a federal government that is coming in with 3-4,000 federal agents and you've got only 600 police officers, yeah, there is a differential there, but what American cities can show right now is that we do not act like the federal government does. We stand up for our constituents, and we are going to do right by them. 

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