Natasha Rothwell on Saturday graciously presented the 2026 Independent Spirit Award for Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series, but only after sharing an explicit two-word message for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“I’m going to go to the prompter, but I just want to say fuck ICE,” said Rothwell to applause.
The “White Lotus” actor served as this year’s host alongside “Hacks” star Hannah Einbinder and clearly took full advantage that the ceremony airs live on YouTube — and therefore isn’t subject to censorious broadcast regulations from the Federal Communications Commission.
Rothwell seemed to show some independent spirit of her own by adding the anti-ICE diss to her introduction, though cheers from the crowd certainly suggested that most of the audience in Santa Monica, California, shared her sentiment in the wake of recent tragedies.
Since Donald Trump launched mass deportations last year and mobilized thousands of ICE officers in states across the country, multiple violent incidents have ensued and recently resulted in horrific losses of life, including when an ICE officer fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Good on Jan. 7, and when a Border Patrol agent shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti on Jan. 24.
The administration last week, however, announced an end to its immigration crackdown in Minnesota.
Rothwell’s message over the weekend is certainly popular: A national NPR/PBS News/Marist survey conducted between Jan. 27 and Jan. 30 showed that 65% of the 1,462 polled U.S. adults believe ICE has gone too far in enforcing immigration laws under Trump.
Natasha Rothwell received cheers and applause on Sunday for her brief comments about ICE.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Rothwell is not the only one addressing Trump’s immigration crackdown.
“The Pitt” star Taylor Dearden told Variety on the red carpet that ICE’s immigration raids feel like “an assault on everyone, at all times,” and that there’s no Los Angeles “without immigrants.”
“Train Dreams” director Clint Bentley devoted much of his speech to the issue after winning for Best Director, admitting he often wonders if there’s even a point to making films when “there’s so many people trying to put up walls and put people in cages and divide people.”
Billie Eilish said she didn’t “feel deserving” to be celebrated while accepting the 2026 MLK Jr. Beloved Community Award For Environmental Justice, “given the state of our country and the world right now.”
Most recently, Bad Bunny also used his acceptance speech during this year’s Grammys to declare “ICE out.”
“Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say, ‘ICE out’,” he said. “We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans.”