The 68th annual Grammy Awards were held in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 1. Hosted by Trevor Noah and broadcast on CBS, the event honored the best in music with more than 90 awards. From rapper Kendrick Lamar and Lady Gaga to Bad Bunny and Billie Eilish, the list of winners who took home a Grammy statue was impressive.
Singer Billie Eilish used her 2026 Grammy Awards acceptance speech to voice support for the “ICE Out” movement, delivering a blunt message aimed at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
According to Cosmopolitan, just hours after walking the red carpet wearing an “ICE Out” pin alongside her brother and collaborator FINNEAS, Eilish addressed the issue directly while accepting the Grammy for song of the year for her track “Wildflower.”
WOW! Billie Eilish is saying that “nobody is illegal on stolen land” and then bleeped saying “f*ck ICE” at #GRAMMYs
EXCELLENT and POWERFUL SPEECH! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
pic.twitter.com/wWnkWG7aL8
— Lucas Sanders 👊🏽🔥🇺🇸 (@LucasSa56947288) February 2, 2026
“Thank you so much. I can’t believe this,” Eilish began, standing beside FINNEAS, who also wore an “ICE Out” pin. “Everyone else in this category is so amazing. I love you so much.”
As the audience acknowledged her words, growing emotional, the singer shifted to a political statement. “As grateful as I feel, I honestly don’t feel like I need to say anything other than: no one is illegal on stolen land,” she said.
“It’s really hard to know what to say or what to do right now, but I feel hopeful in this room. We need to keep fighting, speaking up, and protesting. Our voices matter. People matter. And f— ICE. We’re not animals. We’re not aliens. We are humans. We are Americans,” Eilish added. “Hate only grows with more hate. The only thing stronger than hate is love. If we fight, we have to do it with love.”
Several other artists, like Bad Bunny (born Benito Ocasio), won album of the year for his sixth Latin album, Debí Tirar Mas Fotos. He appeared stunned and emotional before accepting the honor on stage.
“Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say ICE out,” he said, referring to U.S. immigration officers, after weeks of tension in Minneapolis, including two recent deaths involving ICE agents.
The first victim was 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in Minnesota, who was shot on Jan. 7, 2026. She was killed during a confrontation with ICE agent Jonathan Ross. Multiple videos showed Renee and her wife, Rebecca, having an argument with the agent. Renee was inside her car when approached, while her wife filmed from outside.
According to reports, Renee refused to comply when the agent asked her to step out and attempted to drive away. She made a U-turn in her Honda SUV before moving the vehicle forward toward Ross. The ICE agent fired three shots, which went through the windshield, fatally wounding Renee.
The second victim, Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse at a veterans’ hospital, was killed by ICE agents on Jan. 24, days after the first incident.
The Minneapolis ICE OUT protest, in -15 degree weather. In addition to an economic protest where over 700 businesses closed, and thousands skipped school, work and shopping to protest ICE and Donald Trump.
It is a thing of absolute beauty. pic.twitter.com/WPi8kTjQzw
— Kate 🪬🤍🇺🇸 (@ImSpeaking13) January 23, 2026
According to BBC reporting, the back‑to‑back fatal shootings of Minnesota residents Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents have angered residents and prompted renewed demands from state and city officials for the Trump administration to withdraw roughly 3,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection agents from the state, as lawsuits were also filed.
Several Republican leaders have called for an investigation, including Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. He took to X on Jan. 28 to call for the immediate resignation of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House adviser Stephen Miller. “Kristi Noem AND Stephen Miller must go,” the 84‑year‑old wrote alongside a video condemning the recent actions of ICE.
“America is not and must never be about federal agents shooting American citizens down in cold blood, breaking down doors to arrest people, or sending five‑year‑olds to detention centers, all in clear violation of our Constitution,” he said.
