Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Tricia McLaughlin rebuked top Hollywood figures for spreading false claims that ICE conducted mass raids at schools, graduation ceremonies, and Home Depot stores. The criticism comes amid growing reports that public perception is being skewed by unchecked social media posts.
McLaughlin countered accusations by actress Eva Longoria, who claimed ICE swept up immigrants at elementary school events and birthday parties.
One of the posts by Longoria read: “These round-ups are happening in birthday parties, in elementary school graduations, Home Depot…Those are not criminals and I hope that everybody has more compassion for this issue and realizes we have industries dependent on immigrant labor.”
DHS confirmed none of those sites were targeted.
“But to create this fear-mongering that we’ve seen from Eva Longoria, we’ve seen from Sabrina Carpenter and the who’s who of Gen Z, it’s just baloney,” McLaughlin stated.
She reiterated that ICE focuses strictly on MS-13 gang members and convicted violent criminal aliens, reiterating they will not disrupt innocent celebrations. Longoria, with over 10 million followers, also accused ICE of rounding up workers at Home Depot—but DHS confirmed those were targeted arrests of criminal illegal immigrants at job-seeking grounds.
Kim Kardashian also condemned the raids as “inhumane,” suggesting innocent families were being torn apart. DHS has emphasized that ICE operations abide by federal law—detaining those suspected of illegal entry or overstays, consistent with President Trump’s mandate to put criminals “first.”
This clash follows a broader DHS counter-disinformation effort launched earlier in the Trump administration to correct misleading narratives about deportations and ensure the public understands enforcement is not targeting U.S. citizens or lawful residents.
In this environment, facts matter. McLaughlin challenges the media-savvy elite to check sources before amplifying sensational headlines. Enforcement for criminal elements only—no innocent people at schools or parties—should be the guiding message.
