--- description: The voice of Dory took to her show to explain the parallels between the cartoon movie and the current travel ban imposed on refugees. title: Ellen DeGeneres Compares 'Finding Dory' to Immigration Ban image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Newsfeed](/tag/time-section-newsfeed/) ## Newsfeed Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Ellen DeGeneres Used _Finding Dory_ to Criticize Trump's Immigration Ban  by [Raisa Bruner](/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 31, 2017 3:52 PM CUT  by [Raisa Bruner](/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 31, 2017 3:52 PM CUT Comedian and TV host Ellen DeGeneres generally steers clear of politics. But on her show this week, the popular comedian decided to use her role as the voice of [Disney’s cartoon fish Dory](http://time.com/4373508/ellen-degeneres-finding-dory-movie/?iid=sr-link1 "undefined") to draw some pointed parallels between the [“nonpolitical, family-friendly” movie](http://time.com/4371173/finding-dory-review/?iid=sr-link2 "undefined") and [controversial current events.](http://time.com/4654787/trump-immigration-discrimination-lawsuits/?xid=homepage "undefined") “On Friday, the president gave [an order banning people](http://time.com/4654829/donald-trump-immigration-ban-voters-support/ "undefined") from seven countries from entering the United States,” she began. “And then on Saturday, the president screened _Finding Dory_ at the White House. I don’t get political, but I will say I am against one of those two things.” She went on to give a quick synopsis of the movie, which begins with the beloved fish’s journey from Australia to America. “She ends up at the Marine Life Institute behind a large wall. And they all have to get over that wall. You won’t believe it, but that wall has almost no effect in keeping them out,” DeGeneres said, alluding to Trump’s own [proposed border wall](http://time.com/4650178/donald-trump-border-wall-environment/?iid=sr-link2 "undefined") with Mexico. “Even though Dory gets into America, she ends up separated from her family, but the other animals help Dory… They help her even though they’re completely different colors, because that’s what you do when you see someone in need: you help them. So that is what I hope everyone who’s watching _Finding Dory_ has learned.” Watch the full clip above. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4654985/ellen-degeneres-immigration-ban/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4654985/ellen-degeneres-immigration-ban/"},"headline":"Ellen DeGeneres Used Finding Dory to Criticize Trump's Immigration Ban","datePublished":"2017-01-31T15:52:05.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:40:37.575Z","description":"\"That's what you do when you see someone in need: you help them\"","url":"https://time.com/4654985/ellen-degeneres-immigration-ban/","keywords":["Newsfeed","Entertainment","Television","celebrities"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Raisa Bruner","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4654985/ellen-degeneres-immigration-ban/","name":"Ellen DeGeneres Used Finding Dory to Criticize Trump's Immigration Ban"}}]}] ```