ICE Mugshots Drop After Kim's 'Inhumane' Swipe
Donald Trump and Kim Kardashian, 2018. Photo courtesy of the Office of U.S. President Donald Trump. Public domain.
What happens when the queen of reality TV locks horns with the Department of Homeland Security?
A national spectacle.
This week, Kim Kardashian called out federal ICE raids and the agency didn't just clap back. Instead, it hit hard, posting mugshots of convicted felons and demanding Kardashian pick which ones she wants to stay.
This isn't your average culture clash. It's a high-stakes faceoff between celebrity activism and federal power — with the lives of real people caught in the middle.
A Post, a Pushback, and a Political Powder Keg
According to Page Six, on June 10, Kim Kardashian took to Instagram to condemn recent ICE operations in Los Angeles, calling them "inhumane" and urging her followers to "do what's right" in the face of families being "ripped" apart during mass deportations.
Kardashian, who grew up in LA, described immigrants as deeply embedded in the city's social fabric. "They are our neighbors, friends, classmates, coworkers, and family," she wrote, according to Page Six.
Her post came during the fifth day of unrest in Los Angeles sparked by an ICE workplace raid on June 6.
But the Department of Homeland Security wasn't interested in the sentiment.
DHS Fires Back With Mugshots
Just hours after Kardashian's post, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin responded on X (formerly Twitter) with a confrontational message. According to the NY Post, she wrote, "@KimKardashian, which one of these convicted child molesters, murderers, drug traffickers and rapists would you like to stay in the country?"
She included mugshots and criminal histories of four undocumented immigrants recently arrested by ICE. They included Eswin Uriel Castro, a repeat offender with convictions for child molestation and armed assault; Gerardo Antonio-Palacios, previously deported and convicted of homicide; Antonio Benitez-Ugarte, with a drug trafficking conviction; and Mab Khleb, whose record includes lewd acts with a child and battery.
"These are just a few of the convicted illegal criminals who have been picked up in the last 72 hours," McLaughlin wrote, according to the NY Post.
The Riots and the Response
The social media slugfest unfolded against a volatile backdrop. Protests erupted after ICE agents raided a business in LA's Fashion District on June 6, detaining undocumented workers as part of the Trump administration's new workplace enforcement initiative.
While most demonstrations remained peaceful, others escalated into looting and property destruction.
In response, President Trump reportedly deployed 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to aid federal agents.
Trump defended the decision on Truth Social, claiming, "If our troops didn't go into Los Angeles, it would be burning to the ground right now, just like so much of their housing burned to the ground," according to The Hill.
California Governor Gavin Newsom denounced the federal presence as a "brazen abuse of power," according to The Hill.
Between Activism and Authority
Kardashian's advocacy isn't new. She's lobbied for criminal justice reform and once worked with Trump's administration to help secure clemency for incarcerated individuals.
But that relationship has since soured. Trump recently called her the "world's most overrated celebrity" after she failed to publicly support him during the 2024 election cycle, according to the Independent.
Her critics argue that her statements minimize the real threat posed by undocumented immigrants with violent records. Supporters counter that she's highlighting the unintended consequences of sweeping enforcement actions that impact families and communities.
DHS officials maintain that their mission is focused on removing individuals who pose a threat to public safety — but even they admit that ICE's operations sometimes detain non-violent individuals too, as reported by The Hill.
Optics, Power, and Public Opinion
Kardashian's post went viral. So did McLaughlin's. But this isn't just about who won the retweet war. This isn't just a beef between a reality star and a bureaucrat. It's a clash that spotlights one of the country's deepest divides: How do we reconcile the rule of law with the reality of millions of undocumented lives woven into American communities?
It's a sharp reminder of how American identity, safety, and immigration enforcement remain some of the most divisive topics in the country. And how fast a cultural icon can become a political lightning rod.
References: DHS fires back at Kim Kardashian's ICE criticism: 'Which one of these convicted child molesters would you like to stay?' | Kim Kardashian Calls Out ICE After Flirting With MAGA | Kim Kardashian calls out 'inhumane' ICE for 'ripping' families apart as LA riots rage on: 'We can't turn a blind eye' | DHS official blasts Kim Kardashian over ICE criticism | DHS official asks Kim Kardashian which murderers, rapists she would like to see ICE put back on streets | Trump rants that Kim Kardashian is world's 'most overrated celebrity'
