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Natasha Rothwell graciously presented the 2026 Independent Spirit Award for Best Ensemble in a New Scripted Series on Saturday, but only after sharing an explicit two-word message to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“I’m going to go to the prompter, but I just want to say screw ICE,” Rothwell said to applause.
The “White Lotus” actor was this year’s presenter alongside “Hacks” star Hannah Einbinder and clearly took full advantage of the fact that the ceremony is streamed live on YouTube and therefore not subject to the Federal Communications Commission’s objectionable streaming regulations.
Rothwell seemed to show some independent spirit by adding the anti-ICE speech to his introduction, although the crowd’s applause certainly suggested that most of the audience in Santa Monica, California, shared his sentiment in the wake of recent tragedies.
Since Donald Trump launched mass deportations last year and mobilized thousands of ICE agents in states across the country, there have been multiple violent incidents that recently resulted in horrific loss of life, including when an ICE officer shot and killed Renee Good, 37, on January 7, and when a Border Patrol agent shot and killed Alex Pretti, 37, on January 24.
However, last week the administration announced the end of its immigration crackdown in Minnesota.
Rothwell’s message over the weekend is certainly popular: A national NPR/PBS News/Marist poll conducted between January 27 and 30 showed that 65% of the 1,462 American adults surveyed believe ICE has gone too far in enforcing immigration laws under Trump.
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Rothwell is not the only one addressing Trump’s immigration crackdown.
“The Pitt” star Taylor Dearden told Variety on the red carpet that ICE immigration raids feel like “an assault on everyone, all the time” and that there is no Los Angeles “without immigrants.”
“Train Dreams” director Clint Bentley devoted much of his speech to the topic after winning Best Director, admitting that he often wonders if it makes sense to make movies when “there are so many people trying to put up walls and cage people and divide people.”
Billie Eilish said she didn’t “feel worthy” of being celebrated as she accepted the 2026 MLK Jr. Beloved Community Award for Environmental Justice, “given the state of our country and the world right now.”
More recently, Bad Bunny also used his acceptance speech during this year’s Grammys to declare “ICE out.”
“Before I thank God, I’m going to say, ‘ICE out,’” he said. “We are not savages, we are not animals, we are not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans.”