Despite his position as a Hollywood elite, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel likes to think of himself as a man of the people who cares for the little guy, but on his Tuesday show, Kimmel made the strange claim that illegal immigrants are “raising your children.”
While talking about Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s congressional testimony where he was questioned about his appearance in the Epstein files, Kimmel sarcastically declared, “But this was encouraging. Congressman Lisa McClain, a Republican from Michigan, is speaking out and loudly against Epstein's co-conspirators.”
After a clip of GOP Rep. Lisa McClain at a press conference lamenting, "And you know what the Democrats want to do? Let's release them into your communities. And let's celebrate the criminals. Let's villainize the ICE agents and celebrate the people who are raping your children,"… pic.twitter.com/jP9SbPxxtV
— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) February 11, 2026
A video of McClain then showed her at a press conference lamenting, “I don't get it. I've got to share with you, I don't get it. These folks are monsters. They're criminals. They murder. They sexually assault young women. Minors.”
Kimmel then teed up the second part of the video by reacting, “What's that? Oh, that wasn't about the men in the Epstein files? Who was she yelling—oh, immigrants. Oh, no.”
The McClain clip then continued with her adding, “And you know what the Democrats want to do? Let's release them into your communities. And let's celebrate the criminals. Let's villainize the ICE agents and celebrate the people who are raping your children.”
Kimmel again reacted, “I think she meant to say raising your children? I mean, listen, could you imagine how ignorant these people are screaming about pedophiles and rapists while members of their own party seem to be doing everything they can to protect the pedophiles and the rapists in the Epstein files.”
According to the not-at-all conservative American Immigration Council, 6.7 percent of childcare workers and 4.1 percent of all child day care workers were illegal immigrants in 2021. While numbers are hard to find for Kimmel’s Los Angeles specifically, 39 percent of California’s child care workers are immigrants—either legal or illegal—higher than the national average of 21 percent, and a disproportionate number of them live in LA. For the overwhelming majority of Americans, and especially those who live outside of areas like LA, Kimmel’s remarks simply aren’t true.
Here is a transcript for the February 10 show:
ABC Jimmy Kimmel Live!
2/10/2026
11:44 PM ET
JIMMY KIMMEL: But this was encouraging. Congressman Lisa McClain, a Republican from Michigan, is speaking out and loudly against Epstein's co-conspirators.
LISA MCCLAIN: I don't get it. I've got to share with you, I don't get it. These folks are monsters. They're criminals. They murder. They sexually assault young women. Minors.
KIMMEL: What's that? Oh, that wasn't about the men in the Epstein files? Who was she yelling—oh, immigrants. Oh, no.
MCCLAIN: And you know what the Democrats want to do? Let's release them into your communities. And let's celebrate the criminals. Let's villainize the ICE agents and celebrate the people who are raping your children.
KIMMEL: I think she meant to say raising your children? I mean, listen, could you imagine how ignorant these people are screaming about pedophiles and rapists while members of their own party seem to be doing everything they can to protect the pedophiles and the rapists in the Epstein files.
