Ice Cube called out federal immigration authorities for what he described as aggressive and dehumanizing tactics during recent raids in Los Angeles targeting immigrant communities.
The Hip-Hop icon voiced his outrage during an appearance on REAL 92.3 LA’s The Cruz Show, where he criticized U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for storming places of worship, schools and family events.
“To see people disrespected like that, and federal government just being too heavy-handed and disrespectful, going to churches and weddings and grabbing people out of those schools,” he said. “It’s like, ‘Come on man, y’all just overdoing it.’”
The interview, posted Friday (August 7), came just one day after Border Patrol agents reportedly leapt from a rented truck and detained individuals outside a Home Depot in Los Angeles. The operation, referred to by one official as “Operation Trojan Horse,” has drawn backlash from civil rights groups and local leaders.
“It hurts, because it’s all kind of different situations been going around, as far as immigration,” Cube said. “Nobody’s safe, man. They don’t care who they grab. It’s sad. They come in and disrespect everybody. They want to traumatize people, too.”
The N.W.A legend didn’t hold back when describing the emotional toll these raids are having on the region’s Latino population. “It’s just sad, man,” he added. “I can’t wait ’til this period is over. I don’t know how we’re going to get to the end, but it’s crazy to see people dragged out of their spots of refuge.”
Tensions in Los Angeles have been rising since June, when protests erupted in response to Donald Trump’s mass deportation push. The administration deployed the National Guard to assist ICE in its enforcement efforts across the city. Despite a federal judge’s order—upheld by a federal appeals court—blocking indiscriminate arrests, raids have continued.
Cube joins a growing list of artists speaking out against the immigration crackdown, including Tyler, The Creator, Olivia Rodrigo, Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong and Kehlani.
ICE has ramped up operations in Southern California in recent months, often targeting locations where undocumented individuals are likely to gather. According to local reports, agents have conducted arrests outside schools, workplaces and even during religious ceremonies. Community advocates have accused the agency of using intimidation tactics to instill fear, even among legal residents.