Kim Kardashian condemns US immigration raids at Venice awards ceremony: ‘Our country is getting affected…’

Kim Kardashian criticises US immigration raids

Speaking ahead of the Diane von Furstenberg (DVF) Leadership Awards—where she was honoured for her advocacy on criminal justice reform—Kardashian criticised the latest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, which have seen nearly 200,000 people deported since Donald Trump returned to the White House, according to figures from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

“In the news you hear, ‘Oh, it’s about people who have committed these crimes and they’re trying to help out our country.’ But then you hear about all of the people who have worked so hard to build our country… and so many people that are such a part of our country getting affected,” Kardashian told reporters. “People I know. People my friends know.”

White House responds to Kim’s comments

Kardashian’s comments highlight a stark contrast between her previous cooperation with Trump-era officials on justice reform and her current criticism of his immigration stance.

In 2018, she famously worked with White House aides to secure clemency for Alice Marie Johnson, a grandmother serving a life sentence for a non-violent drug offence.

The case was widely viewed as a watershed moment for bipartisan efforts on prison reform—and demonstrated Kardashian’s capacity to engage both with grassroots advocates and senior political figures.

Her renewed focus on immigration enforcement adds a new dimension to her activism. She has previously used her Instagram platform to call out ICE’s tactics, particularly during mass protests in Los Angeles. At the time, she condemned the agency for removing “innocent, hardworking people” from their families, arguing that the supposed focus on violent criminals did not match the reality on the ground.

In response to Kardashian’s remarks, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Newsweek: “President Trump is fulfilling his promise to the American people to deport criminal illegal aliens and Make America Safe Again—no matter what elite Hollywood celebrities have to say about it.”

Despite the political pushback, Kardashian’s Venice appearance has drawn support from fellow activists and public figures, who praised her for using her platform to speak out on behalf of vulnerable communities.