Arellano: ‘It’s a Wonderful ICE?’ Trumpworld tries to hijack a holiday classic

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For decades, American families have gathered to watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” on Christmas Eve.

Frank Capra’s 1946 film tells the story of a man who realizes how much good he’s done for his community on what seems like a terrible day. It’s a cherished movie because it celebrates kindness, the importance of community, and standing up for the underdog against greedy corporations. Combine those themes with strong performances and a hopeful message, and it’s the one movie that always brings me to tears.

Even Pope Leo XIV recently shared that he loves the movie. However, like many cherished traditions, President Trump and his supporters are attempting to take control of its message.

Over the weekend, the Department of Homeland Security released two videos promoting its deportation efforts. One video, titled “It’s a Wonderful Flight,” borrows from the classic film It’s a Wonderful Life. It shows a Latino man, mirroring a scene where George Bailey considers suicide, overwhelmed with sadness and expressing a desperate desire to return to his family and rebuild his life.

Okay, so the film then cuts to our guy, now seemingly enjoying himself on a flight leaving the country. It’s a jarring shift, and the scene wraps up with a rather cynical product placement – an app promoting a Homeland Security initiative. Apparently, undocumented immigrants can use it to accept a free flight back to their country of origin, with a bonus of $1,000 – or $3,000 if they travel during the holidays. It felt… unsettling, to say the least, and honestly, a little heavy-handed.

Voices

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When my father was crossing the U.S.

The second DHS video features a fast-paced, energetic remix of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” played over scenes of classic holiday imagery – Santa, elves, stockings, and people dancing. A quick flash in the video shows the townspeople from It’s a Wonderful Life singing “Auld Lang Syne” immediately after they help George Bailey avoid financial disaster and arrest.

“This Christmas,” the caption reads, “our hearts grow as our illegal population shrinks.”

“It’s a Wonderful Life” is often interpreted in different ways depending on people’s political views. In the past, some conservatives criticized the film for portraying bankers negatively, even suggesting it contained hidden pro-communist messages. Interestingly, director Frank Capra was actually a Republican who made war documentaries during World War II. Meanwhile, progressives often dislike the film’s strong patriotism, its overly sentimental tone, its limited representation of Black characters, and its negative portrayal of city life.

Donald Trump’s emergence as a political force drew quick comparisons to a classic movie villain, Mr. Potter. Like the greedy and self-absorbed character who names everything after himself, Trump’s wealth and behavior were easy targets for criticism. Many liberal writers immediately made the connection, and a 2018 “Saturday Night Live” sketch depicting a world without Trump as president particularly angered him, leading to threats of a lawsuit.

Recently, supporters of Donald Trump have argued that a certain film is actually a story representing him and his leadership.

Some people compare Donald Trump to George Bailey from “It’s a Wonderful Life,” portraying him as a selfless figure who gave up wealth to help ordinary people. They see the “liberal elite” as the villain, Mr. Potter, looking down on those he considers less important. This comparison was made at the 2020 Republican National Convention and is echoed in recent videos from the Department of Homeland Security, which use imagery from the film – but in these videos, it’s uncontrolled immigration that’s presented as the threat to the community.

As a movie lover, I was really bothered by the Trump administration’s take on “It’s a Wonderful Life.” They seemed to see it as a nostalgic look back at a supposedly simpler, better, and, frankly, whiter America. But that’s just not what the film is about! To me, the heart of “It’s a Wonderful Life” is built on the dreams of immigrants and the strength they bring to our country. It feels like a deliberate misunderstanding of a truly American story.

In his 1971 autobiography, Frank Capra shared that his family, poor Sicilian immigrants, moved to Los Angeles around 1900 to join an older brother who had arrived in the U.S. years earlier as a stowaway. Growing up in the rough Lincoln Heights neighborhood, young Frank found a sense of belonging at Manual Arts High with other overlooked immigrant and working-class students. He became a U.S. citizen after serving in World War I, and despite facing hardship, Capra and his friends went on to achieve success.

One of the most heartwarming moments in “It’s a Wonderful Life” comes from a small scene with Giuseppe Martini, the Italian bar owner. He’s one of the many Bedford Falls residents we hear praying for George Bailey, and his thick accent just adds to the film’s charm. There’s a quick flashback showing how Bailey helped him escape a cramped, rundown apartment—owned, naturally, by the villain Potter—and move into a brand new home with his family and even his goat! It’s a beautiful little detail that really highlights Bailey’s impact on the town and its people.

Today, supporters of Donald Trump would likely portray the Martini family as outsiders threatening traditional American values. But in the film “It’s a Wonderful Life,” they actually represent the heart of America itself.

After an argument at Martini’s bar, a husband hits Bailey for speaking disrespectfully about his wife, and Martini immediately throws him out for attacking his close friend. Later, when the town comes together to help Bailey, it’s Martini who generously contributes all the night’s earnings from his bar and provides wine for a celebratory toast.

The film suggests that immigrants are essential to the vibrancy of American life, to the point that without someone like George Bailey, the character Martini wouldn’t exist or be known.

Frank Capra consistently said that “It’s a Wonderful Life” was his personal favorite film. In his autobiography, he described it as a tribute to those who are unfairly judged and those who suffer with no one to comfort them.

I always try to watch the end of ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ on Christmas Eve to feel better, even when things are tough. But after the Department of Homeland Security edited the film’s closing message, I decided to watch the whole movie – I’ve seen it at least ten times – before it aired on NBC as I usually do.

Obituaries

Frank Capra, a celebrated filmmaker and winner of numerous Academy Awards, passed away Tuesday at his home in the desert. He was known for creating movies featuring relatable characters who overcame challenges posed by powerful and often corrupt businesses and government institutions, embodying the resilience of the American spirit.

I felt a sense of having been here before as Bailey’s father sadly explained that in this town, people only succeed if they submit to Potter’s demands.

Bailey later recounted telling Potter, “You act like you’re the center of the universe, and that your wealth makes you so. But that’s not true.” It made me wish someone had said the same thing to Donald Trump.

When Potter mocked Bailey, calling him someone wasting his life taking care of others, it reminded me of how right-wing commentators often dismiss people who oppose Trump’s harsh actions as foolish or even unpatriotic.

And as the famous conclusion came, all I thought about was immigrants.

Seeing everyone chip in to help Bailey, even with just a little, made me realize that ordinary people have been much more effective at resisting Trump’s aggressive deportation policies than powerful institutions or wealthy individuals have been.

Watching the movie end, as Bailey and his family were surrounded by all the people who came to support them, reminded me of my own immigrant grandparents. They gave up their own ambitions and worked tirelessly, finding fulfillment only in the success of their children – a quiet reward for years of selflessness.

Tears streamed down her face, triggered by a realization that had been present all along: “Only we can save ourselves.” This phrase has become a rallying cry for pro-immigrant activists in Southern California this year, offering them both solace and strength in their fight.

This idea is central to the movie ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’ and stands in stark contrast to Donald Trump’s attempts to control others by making them rely on his favor. Neither Trump, nor people like him, can alter this fundamental truth.

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2025-12-23 14:09