At the MLK Jr. Beloved Community Environmental Justice Award ceremony in Atlanta, pop star Billie Eilish used her acceptance speech to address what she described as interconnected social and environmental crises in the United States, sharply criticizing federal immigration enforcement and broader policies she feels undermine civil rights and public safety.
Eilish said during her speech that “we’re seeing our neighbors being kidnapped, peaceful protesters being assaulted and murdered, our civil rights being stripped,” and that basic needs like access to food and healthcare are increasingly treated as privileges rather than rights. These comments tied her concerns about immigrant enforcement to wider issues of community safety and justice.
Her remarks came in the wake of national controversy over the killing of Renée Nicole Good, a 37-year-old woman who was fatally shot by an agent of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minneapolis on January 7, 2026, during an immigration-related operation. The incident has sparked protests and debates over enforcement practices and civil rights, with ongoing demonstrations in multiple U.S. cities.
Eilish also criticised what she described as a lack of prioritisation of environmental protection by the current administration, linking climate justice with human rights issues. She framed her activism as part of her responsibility to use her public platform, especially at a moment when many communities feel unsafe or overlooked.
Her comments drew both support and criticism, reflecting the highly charged political environment in which immigration enforcement, protest policing, and environmental policy are hotly debated topics in the U.S.
