Jimmy Kimmel slams Trump, calls him 'arsonist with a hose' over ICE sweeps in LA
Hollywood is speaking out after mass protests in Los Angeles over federal immigration enforcement erupted on June 7.
Kim Kardashian, on her Instagram story June 10, questioned U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's sweeps targeting "innocent, hardworking people."
"When we're told that ICE exists to keep our country safe and remove violent criminals— great. But when we witness innocent, hardworking people being ripped from their families in inhumane ways, we have to speak up," she said.
The Los Angeles native said her upbringing made clear how much immigrants shape local communities. "Growing up in LA, I've seen how deeply immigrants are woven into the fabric of this city. They are our neighbors, friends, classmates, coworkers, and family," she said.
"No matter where you fall politically, it's clear that our communities thrive because of the contributions of immigrants," she continued. "We can't turn a blind eye when fear and injustice keep people from living their lives freely and safely. There HAS to be a BETTER way."
Tensions escalated June 8 after President Donald Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops on June 7, prompting backlash from public officials, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said Trump's actions "flamed the fires" and that Trump "illegally acted to federalize the National Guard."
ICE is carrying out a directive from Trump to find immigrants living in the United States without legal status. His goal is to deport 1 million undocumented immigrants annually. This has sparked a series of sometimes-violent protests in the greater Los Angeles area.
A small mob set multiple vehicles and a palm tree on fire, threw rocks and fireworks at police in downtown Los Angeles on June 7 and June 8 as thousands of nonviolent protesters watched and occasionally cheered.
An estimated 1,800 protests are set to take place nationwide on June 14, coinciding with a military parade in Washington, D.C., to celebrate President Donald Trump's birthday. Known as "No Kings Day," organizers consider Trump's presidency an authoritarian reign and are calling it a "day of defiance."
The federal response similarly prompted backlash from other celebrities, who accused the administration of inciting the very violence it claimed to be addressing. Several stars have taken to social media to share information and resources, as well as to criticize the government's response to what they called peaceful protests.
Doechii says 'we all deserve to live in hope' amid LA protests: Watch speech
While attending the 2025 BET Awards at LA's Peacock Theater on June 9, rap star Doechii used her acceptance speech to address the controversial demonstrations.
"There are ruthless attacks that are creating fear and chaos in our communities in the name of law and order," said Doechii, 26. "Trump is using military forces to stop a protest."
Doechii, who won best female hip-hop artist at the award show, shared her criticism of the Trump administration's response to the immigration protests in her speech.
"I want y'all to consider what kind of government it appears to be when every time we exercise our democratic right to protest, the military is deployed against us. What type of government is that?" Doechii said.
She continued: "People are being swept up and torn from their families, and I feel it's my responsibility as an artist to use this moment to speak up for all oppressed people: for Black people, for Latino people, for trans people, for the people in Gaza. We all deserve to live in hope and not in fear. And I hope we stand together, my brothers and my sisters, against hate and we protest against it."
Jimmy Kimmel calls Trump an 'arsonist with a hose'
On June 11, Jimmy Kimmel pushed back during his late-night talk show that the protests against immigration raids have turned Los Angeles into "some kind of totalitarian hellscape."
"He wants there to be a war going on here, and he doesn't care who gets hurt in it," Kimmel said. "There's no riot outside. We have more so-called 'unrest' here when one of our teams wins a championship."
Kimmel also criticized Trump for sending the National Guard as a response to protests in LA, but not when the city was dealing with wildfires that were ravaging the neighborhoods of Altadena and Pacific Palisades. "You know, when we had the wildfires that devastated big chunks of our city, he did absolutely nothing," Kimmel added. "Now that we're in the middle of a nonemergency: 'Send in the National Guard!'"
"Putting out a fire you purposely start doesn’t make you a firefighter, it makes you an arsonist with a hose," Kimmel said.
Cardi B calls living under Trump a dictatorship over ICE sweeps
Cardi B took to X Spaces on June 10 to explain why she hasn't been vocal about the Trump administration's actions regarding the protests or ICE sweeps, saying "nothing is going to happen" if she did.
"I personally believe that (Trump) doesn't like me," she said, according to audio heard by Complex. "I feel like if I talk about it every single day, he's going to deport more people on purpose to show you."
She continued: "He always gives dictatorship vibe. I tried to warn people that this was going to happen."
Becky G: The 'most American thing about me' is coming from a family of immigrants
Mexican American singer Becky G penned a touching tribute to her roots and Latino community on Instagram.
"The most American thing about me is that I am a proud grand-daughter of immigrants," she wrote, alongside a series of family photos. "My dreams are made of their sacrifices, tears, love (and) belief in the opportunity this country promised. They are the reason why I am here today. When you see me, you see them."
"Who they were before (and) after they became U.S. citizens never changed," Becky G wrote, adding that "innocent (and) hardworking people deserve to be treated with dignity (and) respect." She went on to say that those being affected by Trump's immigration plans are "not 'illegal aliens,' they are human beings with RIGHTS."
In her post, Becky G also included a series of resources outlining people's rights if they're stopped by ICE agents and a list of organizations for others to stay informed. "We must understand that an attack on them is an attack on OUR DEMOCRACY (and) an attack on what this country was made to stand for," she wrote.
Becky G also expressed disappointment in the "misrepresentation from the media of what the Community of Los Angeles is standing up for."
Trump's deployment of thousands of troops to the nation's second-largest city has unleashed indignation and anger among residents and local officials who say the threat of immigration protests has been dramatically overblown by the White House.
"There is a yearning for common decency in practice and respect towards all human life," Becky G concluded her post. "We want safety (and) protection for our immigrant community — in a country where the right to protest, peacefully, has consistently changed the course of history."
"Our hearts are broken but our spirit (and) will to fight back is not! We who have the privilege of being born here must continue to speak up!"
Peso Pluma: 'This country was built by our ancestors'
On June 11, Mexican music star Peso Pluma shared a statement to his Instagram stories about being "deeply heartbroken over what's happening in Los Angeles and all across the country."
"This country was built by our ancestors, hard working immigrants who came to this country to build a better life for us," the statement, on behalf of his Double P Records label, read.
"The raids, the fear, the separation of families — it's painful to witness, and even more painful to know that so many of our own are living in constant uncertainty," the statement continued. "As children of immigrants and immigrants ourselves, we know this struggle personally."
The statement concluded with a call to action, which read: "We will continue to support through meaningful donations and partnerships and as part of that, have made contributions to the following organizations in case you too wish to get involved."
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, the National Immigration Law Center and United We Dream, among others, were listed.
Fuerza Regida sends 'love and strength' to Latino community
Mexican music band Fuerza Regida — made up of Jesús Ortíz Paz, Samuel Jáimez, Khrystian Ramo, José "Pelón" García and Moisés López — shared a statement on Instagram, sending their "love and strength to our Latino community during this difficult time."
"We've been deeply moved by the events of this past week," the band wrote. "These are our people, our fans, the very communities that inspire our music."
"We see your strength and resilience," they added. "We stand with you and are actively working on a plan to help those directly affected."
'Overcompensating' actress Wally Baram says officers shot her mom in head with rubber bullet
Actress Wally Baram, who stars in the Amazon Prime Video dramedy "Overcompensating," shared on her Instagram story that officers shot her mother, a "70 year old mexican woman," in the back of the head with a rubber bullet. "If there's ever evidence they are bringing violence to peaceful protest," she said.
In another slide, she shared a graphic photo of the injury, but added her mother is "okay and immediately got to a hospital. and she did return to the protest" the next day.
Billie Eilish's brother Finneas teargassed at LA protest
On June 8, Billie Eilish's brother and collaborator, Finneas, posted on his Instagram story about the protests, cursing at ICE and sharing that he attended a protest and was immediately met with force.
"Tear gassed almost immediately at the very peaceful protest downtown-they're inciting this," wrote the songwriter, an LA native.
Chiquis warns against violent demonstrations
Singer and LA native Chiquis posted an Instagram video June 9, urging protesters to remain peaceful.
"Your voice is powerful–use it with purpose. Protest peacefully, stand for justice, but remember: violence dims the light of the message. Stay safe, stay strong, stay united," she captioned the post. "Burning cars, throwing rocks at cops cars, vandalizing our city is NOT going to solve this."
She followed the post on her story, sharing a video of demonstrators walking with signs earlier on Sunday, writing: "This is what you call a peaceful protest."
Fashion designer Jeremy Scott also took to his Instagram story June 8 to call out Trump amid the federal government's response to the protests, suggesting the president's deployment of the National Guard, without city or state officials' request, was a means to changing the narrative behind Trump's recent feud with Elon Musk.
Scott said Trump sent the National Guard to "scare peaceful protesters and make it a (national) news story. PR 101 folks."
Renee Rapp calls federal government's protest response a 'disgrace'
Singer and "Mean Girls" star Reneé Rapp took to her Instagram story to curse out ICE, the Trump administration and everyone "complicit in ensuring that this happened," calling the federal response a "disgrace."
And former "Catfish" host Kamie Crawford shared a lengthy pair of Instagram stories, expressing her sadness, exhaustion and shame for being less politically vocal as of late, but added, "immigrants are worth fighting for."
"Even if you're someone who just wants immigration reform and better checks & balances, I think we can objectively see what's going on & agree that this is not the way. This is inhumane & it's harm," she wrote. "These are our friends, our neighbors, our families, our teachers, our TAXPAYERS. These are people. This isn't right."
This story was updated to include video and additional information.
Contributing: Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY; Dan Kadar, Akron Beacon Journal