As the Tardigrade Administration tries to wrestle rights away from undocumented immigrants, Gina Rodriguez is developing two immigrant-focused dramas at a fitting time.
Have Mercy, the series sold to CBS, stars an immigrant Latina doctor who goes from working as a nurse’s assistant in Miami to running her own clinic. The show is based on a German series format.
The other project, Illegal, is in development at The CW and based on the life of Jane the Virgin writer Rafael Agustin, who’s serving as writer and co-executive producer on the series. Agustin immigrated from Ecuador to America and found out his undocumented status while in high school.
According to The Hollywood Reporter:
...the light hourlong Illegal centers on 16-year-old Rafael, a charming but bumbling high school student just trying to survive puberty. But when this all-American teenager discovers that he is not American at all, his perfect honor roll world is turned upside down.
Rodriguez is among the celebrities who’ve actively defended legislation at risk that aims to protect undocumented immigrants.