Natalie Portman condemned U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the Sundance Film Festival in Utah, speaking out against the agency's conduct as federal officials faced mounting criticism over fatal shootings in Minneapolis involving ICE this month.
Portman addressed the issue while promoting her film "The Gallerist," using her press appearances to draw attention to the death of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman who was shot and killed by an ICE agent.
She wore pins reading "ICE Out" and "Be Good," the latter referencing Good's name.
In an interview at the Variety Studio presented by Audible, Portman addressed the tension between the festival's upbeat atmosphere and events happening across the country.
"This is such a joyful community celebrating film here and we're so excited to be showing 'The Gallerist,' but we're also at a moment in our country's history that is quite devastating," Portman said.
"It's really impossible not to talk about what is happening right now and the brutality of ICE and how it has to stop immediately. But also, there's a beautiful community that Americans are showing right now. They're showing up for each other, protecting each other and fighting for their freedom. It's a bittersweet moment to celebrate something we're so proud of on the backdrop of our nation in pain."
Portman's remarks came just hours after a separate fatal shooting by federal agents in Minneapolis, further intensifying public scrutiny of ICE and other federal law enforcement agencies operating in the city.
Actor Olivia Wilde also criticized ICE while attending Sundance, echoing Portman's concerns in an interview with Variety.
"We're all here getting to celebrate something really beautiful and hopeful in film storytelling. But the world is hurting right now, and this country is hurting. And it's appalling," Wilde said.
Wilde said she was disturbed by what she described as a growing acceptance of violent encounters involving federal agents.
"We can't go another day just sort of accepting this as our new norm. It's outrageous. People are being murdered. And I don't want to normalize seeing people being murdered on the internet on film," she said, referring to the deaths of Alex Pretti, who was killed by Border Patrol agents, and Good.
"It's hideous. And so if we can do anything out here to support the movement to cast ICE out, to delegitimize this unbelievably criminal organization, then that's what we should be doing."
Federal officials have strongly defended the actions of the ICE agent involved in Good's death. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem earlier this month described Good as a domestic terrorist and said the agent acted in self-defense.
"What we do know is that this was clearly a law enforcement action where the officer acted on his training and defended himself and his life and his fellow colleagues," Noem said on CNN's "State of the Union," while also calling the death "a tragedy."
Noem said Good "weaponized her vehicle" against a federal officer and cited video released by the Department of Homeland Security as evidence.
DHS distributed a 3½-minute video that it said shows Good's vehicle partially blocking a roadway and engaging in behavior the agency described as stalking law enforcement and interfering with operations before the shooting.
When pressed on her use of the term domestic terrorist, Noem said the designation was based on the alleged use of a vehicle as a weapon.
"She weaponized her vehicle to conduct an act of violence against a law enforcement officer and the public," Noem said, adding that DHS believes the officer was struck and fired his weapon to protect himself, fellow officers, and bystanders.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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