Actor Giancarlo Esposito sparked controversy by calling for a “revolution” against immigration enforcement following a fatal Border Patrol shooting in Minneapolis over the weekend.
Celebrity Calls for Resistance
The “Breaking Bad” star made his inflammatory comments during a Tuesday interview at the Sundance Film Festival with Variety magazine. Esposito blamed “very rich, old, White men” for exerting power to suppress people and creating civil war conditions in American streets. He declared that Americans “will not be ICE’d out” and vowed that immigration enforcement operations would not succeed in their current form.
NEW: Breaking Bad star Giancarlo Esposito says it's time for a "revolution," says some people would die, but "the rest of us" would survive.
"They can't take us all down. If the whole world showed up… in Washington, they'll kill a 500, 50 million or however…"
"But the rest… pic.twitter.com/66FykhfyO2
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 29, 2026
The comments came after Border Patrol agents shot Alex Pretti during an enforcement operation in Minneapolis over the weekend. Esposito accused authorities of preparing people to hate and teaching them violence as part of what he called an “insidious problem” affecting the world.
Hollywood Joins Anti-ICE Movement
Multiple celebrities at Sundance displayed “ICE OUT” pins to protest immigration enforcement. Tatiana Maslany, Esposito’s co-star in “The Only Living Pickpocket in New York,” wore the protest pin during festival appearances. Director Olivia Wilde also donned an “ICE OUT” pin while promoting her film “The Invite” and called current circumstances “appalling” during red carpet interviews.
Breaking Bad Star Giancarlo Esposito: 'Time for a Revolution' — Some Will Dıe, But the Rest of Us Survive
Somebody has been playing make believe too long and needs a reality check pic.twitter.com/QrASaImrFz
— TaraBull (@TaraBull) January 29, 2026
Bruce Springsteen joined the celebrity opposition by writing and releasing a song about Minneapolis within days of the incident. The musician dedicated his rapid-response track to Minneapolis residents, immigrants, and the memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.
Federal Response and Context
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the celebrity criticism. The agency has faced increasing opposition from entertainment figures during the Trump administration’s renewed focus on immigration enforcement operations. Celebrity activism against ICE has grown more vocal as federal agents expand operations in sanctuary cities like Minneapolis, leading to confrontations between law enforcement and immigrant communities.
It’s people like this that cause and incite the violence in the streets. They and their movies should be boycott to show that we don’t appreciate those who oppose agents who are doing their job. Especially when they make it dangerous for those agents and their families to do those jobs that they are hired to do.