John Leguizamo drew a hard line with his audience this week, telling followers they can’t support both him and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In a short video posted to Instagram on Wednesday, January 28, the Emmy-winning actor said plainly: “If you follow ICE, unfollow me. Don’t come to my shows and don’t watch my movies.”
Leguizamo’s statement came amid mounting anger and unrest following two fatal incidents involving federal immigration agents in Minneapolis this month.
According to USA Today, Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, was shot and killed by U.S. Border Patrol agents on January 24. Earlier in the month, Renee Good, also 37, a poet and mother, was killed in a separate incident involving federal agents in the same city.
CBP confirmed that the agents involved in Pretti’s shooting were placed on administrative leave the day of the incident, calling it “standard protocol.” Confusion followed days later when a Border Patrol commander said the agents were still working but reassigned outside Minneapolis, prompting concern from lawmakers across party lines.
The shootings have intensified scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement as the Trump administration continues expanding ICE and Border Patrol operations in major cities.
Leguizamo’s comments didn’t come out of nowhere. He has been one of the entertainment industry’s most vocal critics of ICE and the Trump administration’s immigration policies for years.
Last summer, he publicly clashed with actor Dean Cain after Cain announced he was joining ICE as part of its recruitment campaign. At the time, Cain encouraged others to sign up, citing benefits like signing bonuses and student loan repayment.
Leguizamo responded with a now-viral Instagram video, asking, “What kind of loser volunteers to be an ICE officer?” before adding, “Dean Cain, your pronouns are has/been.”
Beyond social media, Leguizamo has also taken his opposition offline. He is working alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda, Constance Wu, and others in the New York theater community to stage an anti-ICE protest event at The Public Theater.
The non-ticketed gathering, titled The People’s Filibuster, is scheduled to livestream from the theater’s steps and will feature readings and performances centered on democratic ideals and civil rights.