White House’s Karoline Leavitt slams celebrities for ICE criticism

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt fired back at celebrity attacks on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during Sunday’s Grammy Awards, arguing that Hollywood stars are unfairly smearing federal agents while insulated from the consequences of illegal immigration.

“It’s so ironic and frankly sad to see celebrities who live in gated communities with private security, who have millions of dollars to spend to protect themselves, who are once again trying to demonize law enforcement, public officials who work to enforce the laws of the United States government,” Leavitt said in an outdoor jibe with the media on Tuesday.

Some of the music industry’s biggest stars, including singers wearing “ICE out” badges like Justin and Hailey Bieber, Kehlani, Joni Mitchell, Carole King and Brandi Carlile, used the Grammys to highlight their criticism and hostility towards the Trump administration and ICE Sunday evening.

For example, pop singer Billie Eilish said, “No one is illegal in stolen land.” accepting the Grammy “I feel really hopeful in this room, and I feel like we have to keep fighting and talking and protesting. Our voices really matter, and so do people.”

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“And damn ICE, that’s all I have to say, I’m sorry,” he added.

Leavitt said Tuesday that despite the escalating immigration crisis and high-profile crimes like the deaths of Laken Riley and Jocelyn Nungaray at the hands of illegal immigrants, celebrities have remained fairly quiet under the Biden administration.

Justin Bieber attended the 68th Grammy Awards held at Crypto.com Arena on February 1, 2026 in Los Angeles. (Amy Susman)

“The previous administration allowed our nation’s borders to be invaded and allowed innocent women and girls like Jocelyn Nungaray and Laken Riley to be murdered, raped, and murdered by people who should never have been in our country in the first place,” he continued.

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Demonstrators hold signs during a protest outside the office of Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., in Minneapolis, Jan. 26, 2026. (Adam Gray/AP Photo)

“We now have law enforcement trying to do their job to take out violent predators like the ones who took the lives of innocent Americans. At the time, there was no pushback from Hollywood and the elitist crowd at the Grammys. But there is now, and I think that speaks to the unfortunate irony that we see in Hollywood.”

Democrats and celebrities have become increasingly vocal in recent weeks against the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigrants; especially since the start of the new year, when federal law enforcement officials converged on Minnesota’s Twin Cities during an extensive fraud investigation.

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The shooting deaths of two Americans by federal law enforcement in separate incidents in January drew condemnation from Trump critics who called the deaths “murder” at the hands of the government.

Department of Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem also previously responded to anti-ICE rhetoric from celebrities at the Grammys, telling Fox News Digital on Monday that she wishes they knew “what wonderful, amazing people our ICE officers are.”

Billie Eilish (right) was among the musicians who criticized the Trump administration and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at Sunday’s Grammy Awards. (Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images)

“Their families live there, and they protect their neighbors by taking dangerous criminals off the streets. They go after murderers and rapists, people who traffic drugs and protect America,” Noem continued.

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Fox News Digital’s Nora Moriarty contributed to this report.