Allyship is an honorable stance in the face of oppression. Taking a stand for a community you are not a part of takes empathy, intellect, and compassion. It is easy to hide from the fight when the oppressors look like you. It gives you camouflage to exist in plain sight while feeling safe. Sometimes, people can find themselves being performative in order to get attention, and that sucks. However, when multiple people start coming together to bring attention to a cause, dismissing it immediately does nobody any favors. We are, of course, talking about the “ICE OUT” buttons that celebrities are wearing as an accessory on the red carpet.

During awards season, some of the biggest stars in music, television, and movies wore the pins on the red carpet. Some people have taken to calling it performative. That is counter to the collective response we need at this moment.

Social movements need collective action at every level

Right now, the Latino and immigrant communities are facing unprecedented violence by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The current federal administration has focused on tearing our communities apart. Cities have been overwhelmed with mass immigration operations aimed at arresting as many people as possible. For more than a year, people have lived in fear of leaving their homes. Schools, courthouses, houses of worship, and hospitals, are no longer safe places.

After more than a year of escalated immigration tactics, we are witnessing more people joining the anti-ICE cause. People are seeing videos of immigration raids on social media. The images of families being separated are hard for people to stomach. The shooting deaths of Renée Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis galvanized people to finally start speaking up in the ways they can.

Some people are taking to social media to spread the word and share the news. Other people are taking to the streets to mobilize in person to push for change. Other people still are using some of the biggest platforms in the world to send their message that they want ICE out of our communities.

Nothing will compare to physical action, but awareness is crucial

The “ICE OUT” buttons are serving a purpose in highlighting the continued terror that ICE is inflicting on communities. While some people are quick to call the buttons performative, we can’t be so quick to shut down a coordinated effort to bring attention to the issue. It is a public relations campaign that any movement would be thankful to have. Celebrities have used some of the most visible red carpets and stages of the year to send a united message. That matters.

Millions of people tune in to watch these red carpets. Not only are they exposed to the message on the pins, but it also becomes a part of the conversation. Questions get asked about the pin and what it means to that specific celebrity. This has the opportunity to break through to people who live in news deserts where all information comes from Facebook. It could be the only moment that someone hears the other side of the ICE debate.

The increased visibility into ICE is changing public perception about the federal agency. According to a new PBS News/NPR/Marist Poll, 65 percent of Americans believe that ICE has gone too far. This is up 11 points from 54 percent in June 2025. Furthermore, 62 percent of Americans think that ICE is making Americans somewhat less safe or much less safe, according to the same poll.

The more people who hear about why others oppose ICE, the more likely new people are to join the growing call for accountability for the agency. We have seen it working already. Recently, President Trump fired Kristi Noem as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Part of the reason was mounting public pressure around ICE operations and deadly force.

Coalitions are built by welcoming more people in instead of keeping people out

Someone who faces pushback after wearing an “ICE OUT” button is Rob Raush. The winner of season four of “Traitors” was photographed with a button on while doing press for the show. Some people celebrated him taking an unexpected political stance, and others immediately discredited him because of the perception that he is a MAGA supporter.

Rausch might be from Alabama, but that doesn’t mean that he is MAGA. There are theories on social media that he is MAGA-coded in his words and actions, but there have been no declarations of his politics. Some point to his parents’ politics, but so many children have their own political beliefs that are separated from their parents.

“I don’t f*ck with ICE. I couldn’t sleep at night not supporting my immigrant brothers and sisters,” Rausch told GQ via text about wearing the button. “It’s one thing to enforce the law. It’s another thing to dehumanize people and break up families.”

We aren’t in a time or place to sacrifice allies due to purity tests. We can’t afford to give a grade to the level of activism and its strictly tangible results. What we can do is make space for more people to join the growing call to rein in ICE’s actions against our community. This kind of change takes a coalition of people and, along with that, a diversity in the activism that is taken. It takes all of it together to move the needle and create change, including celebrities wearing “ICE OUT” buttons.

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