With ICE raids continuing in various cities across the country, “Acapulco” star Eugenio Derbez said on Friday morning that Los Angeles has been severely affected by mass deportations, turning into “a ghost town” on weekends.
Derbez stopped by the “The View” in support of the newest, and final season of his Apple TV+ show, and while talking with the hosts, he lamented how Latinos have been “targeted” in the U.S. Host Ana Navarro was quick to point out that Derbez is an L.A. resident himself, and wondered how the ICE raids have impacted him.
“It’s heartbreaking to see the kids crying when they see they’re taking away their mom, or their dad. I just can’t stand it. It’s heartbreaking,” he said.
When Navarro added that young kids are now stepping into the actual jobs of their parents, such as vending street food, Derbez readily agreed, but added that there’s more absence than anything.
“Absolutely. And now, the last few weeks, L.A. is like a ghost town,” he said. “The weekends, it’s empty. Everything is empty, the parks, the malls. It’s really — a lot of restaurants have closed because there are no waiters or cooks. So it’s affecting the economy too.”
“And again, not having papers doesn’t make us criminals,” Derbez continued. “How can we be criminals when we’re working 14 hours a day to send money back home?”
Elsewhere in the interview, host Alyssa Farah Griffin asked what Derbez’s favorite part of “Acapulco” is now, four seasons in. For him, it came back to representation.
“Look, what I love most about this show, is that I’m able to show, and I’m proud of showing, this different side of Mexico,” he said. “A positive side, a side that we don’t see enough. I am tired of watching the news, and every time they talk about Mexico, the only thing they say is about cartels, drugs, violence and we’re much more than that.”
“We’re joy. We are good food, beautiful people, we Latinos are warm, hardworking people,” he continued. “We are honest, we are loyal. Like, help you move on a Sunday loyal. You know what I mean? We are not criminals. We are here in this country because we are trying to fulfill a dream. And sometimes, we are fleeing from violence.”
Derbez added that Latinos are often staffed to build homes, or care for children, handling vital tasks for communities. He was also quick to point out that, even with increased hateful rhetoric, the Latino community still helps on a national scale too.
“Even despite being targeted, despite being deported, despite being called criminals, the first to show up when L.A. was burning down were the Mexican firefighters,” he reminded viewers.
“The View” airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on ABC. “Acapulco” is now streaming on Apple TV+.
