Stephen Colbert: Detention facilities don’t meet America’s high ideals

Stephen Colbert spoke out against conditions at U.S. detention facilities during Tuesday night’s Late Show.

The harsh conditions for migrants, especially children, at U.S. detention facilities along the southern border have become a dominating topic in the news. Politicians and the public alike have railed against the lack of childcare, sanitation, and more. We can now add Stephen Colbert to the list of outspoken critics.

Just recently we saw how The Late Show with Stephen Colbert  was able to find the humor in tense situations like the Iran situation. That unique ability by Stephen Colbert and his writers was then immediately challenged by a number of reports coming out about what is happening at U.S. detention facilities.

Several different outlets have reported that basic human needs are not being met with many children continuing to be separated from their parents. Then news came out that the Acting Customs and Border Protection Commissioner John Sanders was resigning without giving a reason.

It all added up to make crafting a comedy monologue a challenge for Colbert. He did his best to sprinkle in jokes and shots at President Donald Trump but Tuesday night’s show opened with more of a call to action or public address. For Colbert, these detention facilities challenge the ideals and principles on which the U.S. was founded.

Colbert seems a bit surprised to hear Trump admit he never spoke with John Sanders. There looks to be a disconnect between what the customs and border agency was doing and what the president knew. Yet Colbert also points out that Trump blamed the entire policy on President Barack Obama. It was a situation in which both the president and the comedian were doing one of their favorite things: Trump blaming Obama and Colbert exposing Trump’s hypocrisy.

Colbert goes on to cover the idea that Trump’s immigration policies have backfired. His attempt to enact strict border patrol has only motivated migrants to get to the U.S. sooner. And while most Americans are in favor of immigration reform and security, Colbert argues that human rights violations shouldn’t be behind any American policy.

It was one of the more serious and heavy Late Show monologues fans have seen in a while. Perhaps sensing that, Colbert and company made sure to end on a “lighter” note with the clip of Trump sanctioning the assets of the late Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran.

The hope is that enough people, or the right people, realize that things need to change in U.S. detention facilities. When that happens, The Late Show can go back to monologues that are heavier on the jokes than the disappointed tone struck by Stephen Colbert on Tuesday night.