Chappell Roan may be “HOT TO GO!” but she’s definitely not cool with ICE.
During a sold-out show outside of the Pasadena Rose Bowl on Friday, the pop star sent a big F-you to the forces that have been shaking Southern California since early summer.
Calling Los Angeles the “best place in the world” in a concert video making the rounds on social media, the “Midwest Princess” talked about how she’s fallen in love with the city in the nine years since she moved from Missouri.
“I’m so lucky to be able to live here and to play here, and this city has always taken care of me, and it’s only my duty to take care of it back, so I just want to thank you,” she said, taking a pause before adding, “And fuck ICE forever.”
As the crowd cheered, the “Red Wine Supernova” singer shook her head somberly, seemingly at a loss for words.
Joseph Okpako via Getty Images
Though Roan’s message seemed to resonate with fans, it didn’t sit well with the powers behind the dramatic surge in immigration enforcement that has been terrorizing the Los Angeles area since early June.
Tricia McLaughlin, the assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, carved time out of her Sunday to knock the Grammy-winner in a shady statement to TMZ.
“‘Pink Pony Club’ is good,” she said, referring to Roan’s 2023 breakout hit. “Pedophiles are bad. That’s who we’re getting off of our streets. Get a grip.”
While the Trump administration has consistently claimed their operations are only targeting the most dangerous criminals, the government’s own data seems to reveal a different story.
September numbers from Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) show 71.5% of Department of Homeland Security detainees have no criminal convictions. The nonpartisan research organization calculates its statistics from government data, largely obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests.
You can watch Roan’s full remarks here.
