NBC’s Saturday Night Live returned from its lengthy Christmas break this past weekend and quickly joined the rest of the nightly comedy shows in seeking to smear ICE. According to SNL, ICE agents are bad fathers who have anger issues and just like being violent for its own sake.
During the cold open, Ashley Padilla played the role of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem who rattled off some job qualifications for aspiring ICE agents, “Now, obviously, there's been clashes on both sides in Minneapolis, and have we been perfect? Yes. And I know a lot of people looking at the situation in Minnesota are wondering the same thing. Can I join ICE? Well, let me ask you this. Is your neck wider than your head? Are you currently wearing a Punisher T-shirt? Have you ever punched a hole in the wall because your son took a dance class? If the answer is yes, then grab a gun, any gun, and saddle up, big boy. And just know you can always count on me, because my last name is Noem as in, do I have the situation under control? Noem, I don't.”
Later, during Weekend Update, co-anchor Michael Che declared that the Trump administration knows what they are doing is illegal, but that they simply do not care, “Officials in Minnesota have sued the Trump administration, claiming that their large-scale ICE actions are an unconstitutional federal invasion. While the Trump administration claims that, yep!”
Fellow co-anchor Colin Jost then added, “President Trump defended the actions of ICE agents in Minneapolis, adding that the day of reckoning and retribution is coming. Which is a phrase he stole from that guy who's always pointing at him.”
Jost’s reference to “that guy” was accompanied by a picture of the Grim Reaper. Rolling right along, Jost then returned to Padilla’s theme of ICE supposedly being bad fathers, “A federal judge on Friday ordered ICE agents in Minnesota not to retaliate against peaceful protesters. But if ICE agents listened to judges, then their ex-wives would be getting those checks for child support.”
It is difficult to see what any of SNL’s attacks on ICE have to do with the debate about whether or not Jonathan Ross shot Renee Good in self-defense. SNL instead went for personal attacks built around a caricature they have constructed to make them feel better about themselves.
Here is a transcript for the January 17 show:
NBC Saturday Night Live
1/17/2026
11:33 PM ET
ASHLEY PADILLA/KRISTI NOEM: Now, obviously, there's been clashes on both sides in Minneapolis, and have we been perfect? Yes. And I know a lot of people looking at the situation in Minnesota are wondering the same thing. Can I join ICE? Well, let me ask you this. Is your neck wider than your head? Are you currently wearing a Punisher T-shirt? Have you ever punched a hole in the wall because your son took a dance class? If the answer is yes, then grab a gun, any gun, and saddle up, big boy. And just know you can always count on me, because my last name is Noem as in, do I have the situation under control? Noem, I don't.
***
MICHAEL CHE: Officials in Minnesota have sued the Trump administration, claiming that their large-scale ICE actions are an unconstitutional federal invasion. While the Trump administration claims that, yep!
COLIN JOST: President Trump defended the actions of ICE agents in Minneapolis, adding that the day of reckoning and retribution is coming. Which is a phrase he stole from that guy who's always pointing at him.
A federal judge on Friday ordered ICE agents in Minnesota not to retaliate against peaceful protesters. But if ICE agents listened to judges, then their ex-wives would be getting those checks for child support.
