Outrage Over Family Separation Inspires Celebrity Response

Stacy Jenel Smith
Sun, 15 Jul 2018 21:00:00 -0700
Lifestyle

Maggie Gyllenhaal has a crowded list of things to do, topped by her HBO series, "The Deuce," for which she is now a producer. Still, the actress found the time to co-create the viral video going under the hashtag #MyNameisMirian.

This is the video, released to the internet last week, in which more than 30 celebrities read from a sworn statement by one of the mothers separated from her child due to the Trump Administration's "zero tolerance" immigration policy.
Updated: Tue Jul 17, 2018

Maggie Gyllenhaal has a crowded list of things to do, topped by her HBO series, "The Deuce," for which she is now a producer. Still, the actress found the time to co-create the viral video going under the hashtag #MyNameisMirian.

This is the video, released to the internet last week, in which more than 30 celebrities read from a sworn statement by one of the mothers separated from her child due to the Trump Administration's "zero tolerance" immigration policy.

Last week, administration officials reported that some migrant children under the age of five had been reunited with their families. The others had been deemed "ineligible" for compliance with court-ordered reunification for reasons including a parent having a disease, having been accused of a crime or — in several cases — having already been deported.

There are nearly 3,000 children who were taken from their parents under the "zero tolerance" directive who are still not reunited with family members.

Gyllenhaal, who is among the celebrities expressing outrage over the situation, reached out to friends — including many A-listers — to make the video, in which some of the readers are seen to be fighting to control their emotions. The names include her brother, Jake, "Black Panther" star Chadwick Boseman, Ryan Reynolds, Amy Schumer, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Aubrey Plaza, Glenn Close, Jamie Lee Curtis, Lena Waithe, Riz Ahmed, Casey Affleck, Jeff Bridges, Method Man, The RZA, Miguel, Adam Shankman, Alia Shawkat, Anthony Ramos,James Franco, Kumail Nanjiani, Oscar Isaac, Peter Sarsgaard, Thandie Newton and more.

She worked with Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the ACLU's Immigrants' Rights Project, which Mirian is involved with as part of a lawsuit against the U.S. government for separating migrant families.

Gyllenhaal and her #MyNameisMirian actors certainly aren't the only performers who have used their artistry to make a statement against the inhumane directive. Several were prominent in the recent Families Belong Together marches and rallies, including Alicia Keys, America Ferrara, Laura Dern and "Hamilton" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda. Miranda, Emmy nominated for his guest stint on "Curb Your Enthusiasm," sang a special, and certainly emotional, version of his "Dear Theodosia" lullaby, specially adapted for the separated children.