Sinners Actress Blames ICE for Oscar Snub

Awards season in Hollywood is supposed to be about achievement, gratitude, and celebration. But for some in the entertainment industry, it has become yet another opportunity to protest federal immigration enforcement.

“Sinners” actress Wunmi Mosaku says she has been unable to celebrate her Best Supporting Actress nomination at the 2026 Academy Awards because of ongoing ICE enforcement operations and related protests. Her comments add to a growing chorus of Hollywood voices condemning Immigration and Customs Enforcement even as the agency carries out federal law.

Mosaku told a British outlet that recent immigration enforcement actions and violent confrontations involving activists have left her emotionally shaken. She said she finds it difficult to reconcile the joy of an Oscar nomination with what she described as “dark and heavy” national events.

The actress suggested that Americans have an unusual ability to compartmentalize tragedy and continue daily life, contrasting that with her own reaction of feeling overwhelmed for days.

Mosaku’s remarks come as the 2026 Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O’Brien, approach on March 15. Rather than focusing on her career milestone, she joined a number of entertainers who have chosen to frame immigration enforcement as a moral crisis.

Mosaku is hardly alone. In recent weeks:

• Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny used his Grammy acceptance speech to declare “ICE out.”

• Actress Jamie Lee Curtis described ICE enforcement as “inhuman.”

• Olivia Wilde suggested ICE is a “criminal organization.”

• Other celebrities have worn anti-ICE pins at public events.

The entertainment industry has long leaned heavily left. According to Federal Election Commission data, more than 75% of political donations from major Hollywood executives and performers in recent election cycles have gone to Democratic candidates. Immigration activism has become one of the central rallying points within that political alignment.

But critics argue that celebrity rhetoric often glosses over a basic reality: ICE enforces immigration law passed by Congress.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement operates under the Department of Homeland Security and is responsible for enforcing federal immigration statutes. In fiscal year 2025, ICE conducted tens of thousands of removals and arrests, prioritizing individuals with criminal convictions or outstanding removal orders.

The United States currently has an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants residing within its borders. Border encounters surged to record levels in recent years, exceeding 2 million encounters in multiple fiscal years. Enforcement actions have become a flashpoint in the broader debate over border security and national sovereignty.

Supporters of stronger enforcement argue:

• Every sovereign nation has the right to enforce its borders.

• Failure to enforce immigration law encourages further illegal crossings.

• Immigration courts currently face backlogs exceeding 2 million pending cases.

Opponents, including many in Hollywood, frame ICE operations as inherently abusive and destabilizing to immigrant communities.

The Academy Awards have increasingly become a venue for political messaging. From climate activism to social justice speeches, celebrities frequently use nationally televised moments to amplify partisan causes.

Yet polling consistently shows that many Americans prefer less political lecturing from entertainers. A 2024 survey found that nearly 60% of respondents believed celebrities should “stick to entertainment” rather than political advocacy.

For critics, Mosaku’s comments reflect a broader cultural disconnect a wealthy, insulated industry condemning federal law enforcement while millions of Americans wrestle with border security concerns, crime, and economic strain.

The debate over ICE is unlikely to fade. Immigration remains one of the top issues for voters heading into the next election cycle. Enforcement, humanitarian protections, and border control policies will continue to shape the national conversation.

Mosaku’s Oscar nomination is undeniably a professional achievement. But the larger question remains whether Hollywood’s persistent anti-ICE messaging meaningfully advances policy discussions or simply deepens political polarization.

As awards night approaches, it seems likely that immigration enforcement will once again share the spotlight with film.

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