On Wednesday, a senior official from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) responded scathingly to Kim Kardashian after the reality TV personality characterized Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation raids as "inhumane." Assistant Secretary of DHS Tricia McLaughlin lashed out at Kardashian, a star of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," via a scathing post. "Which of these convicted child molesters, murderers, drug traffickers, and rapists would you prefer to remain in our country, @KimKardashian?" McLaughlin inquired, attaching mugshots and detailed criminal profiles of four recently apprehended illegal immigrants who had been targeted in ICE operations.
Among those highlighted were Eswin Uriel Castro, a previously deported felon convicted of child molestation and being armed with a dangerous weapon; Gerardo Antonio-Palacios, a Mexican national with prior convictions for homicide and burglary; Antonio Benitez-Ugarte, another Mexican illegal immigrant with a drug trafficking conviction under his belt; and Mab Khleb, a 53-year-old Cambodian illegal immigrant with a rap sheet including convictions for possession and transport of a controlled substance, lewd acts with a child, and battery.
In an Instagram Stories post on Tuesday, Kardashian, 44, had urged Americans to "speak up" and "do what's right" in response to the Trump administration's mass deportation efforts. "When we're told that ICE exists to keep our country safe and remove violent criminals, that sounds great," the Skims co-founder penned, amid the fifth day of violent riots in Los Angeles. "But when we witness innocent, hardworking individuals being torn away from their families in such inhumane ways, we must speak out. We must do what's right," she emphasized.
Expressing her deep ties to her hometown, Kardashian shared, "I've seen how intricately immigrants are woven into the fabric of this city." "They are our neighbors, friends, classmates, coworkers, and family," she continued. "Regardless of one's political leanings, it's evident that our communities flourish because of the contributions made by immigrants."
"We cannot turn a blind eye when fear and injustice prevent people from living their lives freely and safely. There must be a BETTER way," she insisted. The Los Angeles riots erupted on Friday after ICE agents raided a business in the Fashion District downtown. In response, President Trump deployed the National Guard and US Marines to protect federal agents from protesters as they carried out immigration enforcement operations in the City of Angels.
