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Pakistani-American comedian Kumail Nanjiani has joined a growing chorus of voices speaking out against the mistreatment of immigrants in the United States under the Trump administration.

The star was at the Film Independent Spirit Awards in Hollywood on Sunday when he told a representative of the American Civil Liberties Union, “These people have come from all over the world to fight for a better life for themselves. And their families and the fact that we’re demonising them, to me, is really, really heartbreaking.”

NanjianI further said there was “nothing more American than people wanting a better life” and that this was exactly what these immigrants wanted.

Getting emotional, he added, “The fact that people can look at their situation and not empathise is really shocking to me.”

Nanjiani, a US citizen, was born and raised in Karachi and moved to America at age 18. He is vocal about his views on US and international politics, choosing to wear an ‘ICE OUT’ pin to Sunday’s event and hosting a fundraising stand-up show for Gaza back in 2023.

At the ceremony, Nanjiani presented the Best Supporting Performance award to Naomi Ackie for her role in the black comedy Sorry, Baby.

Before presenting the award, he quipped that white men had made quite the comeback in the entertainment industry, joking that, “We thought it was our time, we were wrong, it is not our time. It is still your time.”

He went on to tell the white men sitting in the audience he had always been their “biggest fan”. He said, “You are doing a great job, you have always done a great job, and I would like to stay in the country,” eliciting a burst of laughter from the audience.