Nickelodeon will debut a brand-new installment of its renowned Nick News series, Nick News: Kids, Immigration and Equality, on Thursday, June 17, at 7:30 p.m. (ET/PT). 

Hosted by CBS News correspondent Jamie Yuccas, the half-hour special also showcases the personal immigration stories and messages of hope from a roster of celebrities, including: Grammy Award-winning recording artist J Balvin, comedian and television host Samantha Bee, television host and advocate Padma Lakshmi, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and Philadelphia 76ers Guard-Forward Ben Simmons. 

“Every immigrant’s story is individual, and yet in the U.S, it is a collective experience many can relate to. In fact, over 25% of kids in the U.S. under the age of 18 have a parent or grandparent that is an immigrant,” said Magalie Laguerre-Wilkinson, Vice President of News Programming, Nickelodeon and Executive Producer of Nick News. 

“As we take time to acknowledge the many contributions immigrants have made to the United States,Nick News: Kids, Immigration and Equality aims to platform the stories of these remarkable individuals and families to highlight our shared history and showcase that despite our perceived differences we are more alike than different.”

Nick News: Kids, Immigration and Equality begins with the story of early immigration in America, detailing the hope for a better life that drove many families to permanently settle in the U.S. The episode also delves into current immigration topicsexplaining who “Dreamers” are and what the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is.  The segment focuses on the powerful stories of three young community advocates, Luz Chavez-Gonzales of Gaithersburg, Md., Kamau Chege of Seattle, Wash., and Estefany Pineda of East Boston, Mass., who have persevered in search of ‘The American Dream.’

Enrique Acevedo, 60 Minutes+ correspondent, will also take viewers to Hazleton, Pa., a town that over 100 years ago welcomed the European immigrants that fueled its coal mining industry and then faced challenges when some members of the community took issue with and sought to stop Latino immigrants moving to the areain the late 1990s.  

However, Joe Maddon Jr., Manager of the Los Angeles Angels, a Hazleton native, sought to turn the page on the divisiveness that overtook his community and help his town heal through the creation of the Hazleton Integration Project (HIP), a community-based center that aims to unite the multicultural residents of Hazleton by offering a myriad of programs, including English as a second language, a series of virtual STEM afterschool classes, sports programs and many others.  The organization’s programs are highlighted through the stories of five kids whose families have emigrated to Hazleton from the Dominican Republic and who have found much needed resources and a sense of community at HIP.

Additional segments include: a mention about former President George W. Bush’s new book, “Out of Many, One: Portraits of America’s Immigrants,” which is a collection of 43 portraits of immigrants painted by Bush. It highlights the inspiring journeys of America’s immigrants and their contributions to THIS nation;  and Time for Kids reporter, Rory Hu is back and tests viewers’knowledge of civics with questions that all immigrants must answer when taking the test to become a United States citizen.The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives,Nancy Pelosi, chimes in to answer the question ‘Who would assume control of the country if the President and Vice President of the United States are unable to serve?’

Following the premiere on Nickelodeon, Nick News: Kids Immigration and Equality will be available on Nick.com, Nick App and Nick On Demand beginning June 18 and on the Nickelodeon YouTube channel on June 22.