Felipe Torres Medina: Humor can Break Down Immigration Myths

He’s a writer for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and a comedian turned newly published author. Felipe Torres Medina is using his sense of humor to take the serious subject of U.S. immigration – and make it something weirdly funny in his book, America, Let Me In: A Choose-Your-Immigration-Story Adventure. Medina joined Jane Matenaer and Greg Bach, hosts of Matenaer on Air, to break down the immigration myths just ahead of his upcoming appearance at Milwaukee’s Boswell Books 

Medina immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico in 2013. He calls his journey to navigate America’s complex and ever-shifting immigration system the inspiration for his satirical, interactive book format.

“Everyone in America has an opinion on immigration,” Medina says. “But very few people actually understand how the system works. And when people say, ‘Just do it the right way,’ they have no idea that ‘the right way’ changes constantly—and sometimes vanishes altogether.”

He explained that the “choose-your-own-path” style of the book is meant to walk readers through a range of immigration experiences – from asylum seekers to high-skilled visa applicants. And he does it with humor, heart, and some absurdity.

Medina’s own story includes receiving an “Alien of Extraordinary Ability” visa. He jokes that it’s an example of a title making him sound more like a Marvel superhero than a screenwriter. 

“It’s a ridiculous name,” he explains while laughing. “That’s the point. The system is filled with these surreal little quirks that make it feel more like satire than policy.”

And the surrealism of it all can turn costly fast. Medina shares how immigration is often reserved for those with financial means. 

“The system works if you have money. That’s the hack,” he says. “Some visas, like the L-1, can cost applicants upwards of $10,000 after legal fees and filings.

He also talks about larger failures within the system, including the lack of reform in more than 30 years. 

“Temporary Protected Status sounds like it should be a lifeline,” Medina explains. “But for many people who’ve lived here legally for decades, it can be revoked with the stroke of a pen. That’s not sustainable—and it’s not fair.”

Medina doesn’t pretend to be a policy expert. He is a comedian after all. But he believes storytelling, especially when it makes people laugh, can open minds.

“The left has largely kicked the can down the road, afraid to have the hard conversations,” he says. “And that vacuum has let some of the worst narratives about immigrants fill the space. If people could just see immigration as a community-builder—as a way to strengthen the country economically and socially—we could shift this whole conversation.”

It is his hope the book, America, Let Me In, can educate through entertainment. Medina has traveled from Boston to Miami, and now to Milwaukee. He and his wife, who is also an Emmy-winning writer, will be sharing a conversation at Boswell Books on July 10 at 6:30 p.m.

“It’s a serious topic, but sometimes laughter is how we keep going,” Medina says. “If we don’t take a moment to laugh, we’re all going to self-destruct.”

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Event Details:
📍 Boswell Book Company, 2559 North Downer Avenue Milwaukee
📅 Wednesday, July 10 at 6:30 p.m.
🎟 Open to the public. Find more information here.

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America, Let Me In is available now at independent bookstores and online retailers.