Tensions surrounding Border Patrol agents shooting and killing Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis have reached such a fever pitch that even queer athletes have started speaking out against the actions of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
We’re used to hearing these famous athletes talk about sports, but now they're using their considerable fame to criticize ICE as publicly as possible.
As the Trump administration continues to be emboldened to act with violence and impunity in the streets of Minnesota and other cities across the country, celebrities are starting to take notice and are trying to use their voices to sway public opinion, call out atrocities committed by ICE, and arm people with information.
Breanna Stewart
Breanna Stewart
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WNBA star and Unrivaled co-founder Breanna Stewart made her voice heard by holding up an “Abolish ICE” sign during a Mist game on January 25. "We're so fueled by hate right now instead of love, so I wanted to have a simple message of 'Abolish ICE,' which means having policies to uplift families and communities instead of fueling fear and violence,” she told reporters after the game.
Paige Bueckers
Paige Bueckers #5 of the Breeze controls the ball against Jordin Canada #3 of the Laces during the first half at Sephora Arena on January 26, 2026 in Medley, Florida.
Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
WNBA 2025 Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers may not have made a public statement against ICE yet, but she liked a post that showed Breanna Stewart holding an “Abolish ICE” sign.
Natisha Hiedeman
Natisha Hiedeman #2 of the Minnesota Lynx passes the ball during the first half of Game Four of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs semifinals at PHX Arena on September 28, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Natisha Hiedeman, who is one-half of the StudBudz and a star on the Minnesota Lynx, spoke out about what’s happening in her state by posting a message on her Instagram Stories. “I’m heartbroken to see ICE has flipped the city upside down and resorted to violence,” she wrote. “There is no place for this.”
DiJonai Carrington
DiJonai Carrington #3 of the Minnesota Lynx looks on against the Seattle Storm at Climate Pledge Arena on August 05, 2025 in Seattle, Washington.
Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
DiJonai Carrington may have only joined the Minnesota Lynx last August, but she’s already calling out what is happening in Minneapolis. She spoke out against ICE by posting a message on Instagram, where she called ICE “criminals” who murder people, and reminded her followers to “never normalize evil.”
Cheryl Reeve
Cheryl Reeve of the Minnesota Lynx looks on during the first quarter in game one of the first round of the WNBA Playoffs against the Golden State Valkyries at Target Center on September 14, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Matt Krohn/Getty Images
Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve took to X to post photos of the massive anti-ICE protests taking place in Minneapolis with the caption, “This is my city. #ICEOUT.”
Kayla McBride
Kayla McBride #21 of the Minnesota Lynx looks on during the third quarter of game one of the first round of the WNBA Playoffs against the Golden State Valkyries at Target Center on September 14, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Matt Krohn/Getty Images
Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride posted a mutual aid notice on her Instagram Story, alerting people to where they can find a free meal and community support. “Tonight, we set a table. Free meals for anyone in need. Come pray, mourn & heal together,” the flyer read.
Gus Kenworthy
Gus Kenworthy of Great Britain poses for a photo after finishing in second place in the Men's Ski Modified Superpipe Presented by Toyota during the Dew Tour Copper Mountain 2020.
Tom Pennington/Getty Images
Olympic freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy didn’t hold back when he was interviewed by Manthropology and answered a question about what it takes to be a good man by saying, “just f*ck ICE so hard right now.”
Nikki Hiltz
Nikki Hiltz of the United States in action in the Women's 1500m Semi-Final during the Athletics Competition at the Stade de France during the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games on August 8th, 2024, in Paris, France.
Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images
Record-breaking nonbinary runner Nikki Hiltz used her platform to be critical of ICE and remind people that you can only go running if you’re not scared of harassment from Border Patrol agents. “Just a reminder that running is political because you can’t run if you get killed by ICE,” she wrote in her Instagram Stories, along with a link to an “Anti-Performative ICE Resistance Guide.”
Carly Nelson
Pro soccer player Carly Nelson used a pointed political cartoon to call out ICE in her Instagram Stories. The cartoon shows different points in history when those in power in America abused their power to subjugate an entire race of people, ending with a drawing of an ICE agent holding a gun on a 5-year-old preschooler, Liam Conejo Ramos.
