Natalie Portman blasted federal officials and the ongoing immigration crackdown as “the worst of the worst of humanity.”
At least six people have died during the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement campaign in the U.S., the latest being Alex Pretti, 37, who was shot by a Border Patrol officer in Minneapolis on Jan. 24.
“What’s going on in our country right now is absolutely horrific with what the federal government, Trump’s government, Kristi Noem, ICE, what they are doing is really the worst of the worst of humanity,” Portman told Deadline at Sundance Film Festival.
“And then we also have the best of the best of humanity for the way people are showing up for each other in community and Americans coming out to support each other and protect each other and to fight against injustice. I could not be prouder to be American right now, by the way the Americans are acting, and I could not be sadder to be American right now with the way the government is behaving.”
Federal authorities immediately described Pretti, a U.S. citizen, as an armed agitator who was a threat to immigration officers after the fatal shooting on Jan. 24. But videos showed Pretti’s hands were only holding a phone moments before a masked Border Patrol officer opened fire on him following a scuffle with multiple agents.
“Mad Men” star John Slattery questioned why ICE agents have been donning masks during immigration operations throughout the U.S.
“We’re citizens of this country and I look around at what’s happening, and I’m mortified,” Slattery told Vanity Fair at Sundance. “I still don’t understand why – So, ICE exists, but why do these guys wear masks? Is it such an odious job? Is it so embarrassing and so shameful that these supposed police – this police force, this border patrol – they wear masks to work?”
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Pretti’s death in Minneapolis comes weeks after Renee Good, a U.S. citizen, was repeatedly shot by an ICE officer. Videos show she was turning the wheels of her Honda Pilot away from officer Jonathan Ross when he opened fire. Trump administration officials have repeatedly defended Ross, claiming his life was at risk.
Amy Poehler took a moment before beginning her latest podcast episode of “Good Hang” to pay tribute to the community in Minneapolis following the deaths of Pretti and Good.
“The intention of ‘Good Hang’ has always been to bring levity and joy and laughs in these tough times, and we’re going to keep doing that. But before we start this episode, I just want to send much love to the best people in the world, also known as Minnesotans. What we are all witnessing is terrifying and enraging and illegal. But we are also seeing neighbors helping neighbors. And if you want to help, there is a directory of local organizations and mutual aid groups that you can check out at standwithmininnesota.com. Minnesota, you’re in our hearts.”
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The White House confirmed three federal investigations into the fatal shooting of Pretti are underway.
During a briefing Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI were investigating the shooting and U.S. Customs and Border Protection was “conducting their own internal review.”
Many celebrities have been speaking out online in the wake of Pretti’s death.
In a lengthy Instagram post, supermodel Bella Hadid called for the abolition of ICE, strongly criticizing their aggressive tactics.
“Abolish ICE. How much more can America take..There are so many changes that need to happen within the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement & morals that the American administration needs to uphold. This is outrageous, dangerous, horror movie-like-behavior,” Hadid wrote.
“The actions carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are increasingly aggressive, illegal, and deeply disturbing,” she added. Hadid also said it is “incomprehensible” how the Trump administration can stay silent and asserted what is happening in America right now is a “monstrosity.”
A vocal Trump critic, actor Mark Ruffalo strongly condemned the killing of Pretti in a post to Bluesky.
“Cold-blooded murder in the streets of the USA by an occupying military gang, creating havoc. We have fought wars in other countries for less than this,” he wrote. Ruffalo previously protested ICE by sporting an “ICE OUT” pin at the Golden Globes on Jan. 11. He also wore a “BE GOOD” pin as an ode to Renee Good.
“Fatal Attraction” star Glenn Close spoke out in a video post to her 1 million Instagram followers, saying she felt “compelled” to say something after what transpired in Minneapolis. “I am outraged and sickened by what is happening under the Trump regime: the cruelty, inhumanity, and arrogance, the voracious corruption, the cowardice, the sickening hypocrisy, the blatant manipulation of facts, and now the cold-blooded murder of American citizens,” she said.
Famed actress Jamie Lee Curtis expressed pride with people protesting I.C.E. in Minnesota. “Let the ICE STORM of RESISTANCE RING LOUDLY,” she wrote on Instagram. In another post, she condemned the deaths of Good and Pretti, who both died at the hands of federal agents. “THESE WERE AMERICANS! SHOT BY OUR GOVERNMENT,” Curtis wrote.
“Sex and the City” star Cynthia Nixon described the death of Pretti as a “cold-blooded execution.”
“Kristi Noem, the Secretary of Homeland Security, has been spreading morally reprehensible, disgusting lies about the cold-blooded execution of the young man, Alex Pretti, who was gunned down in the streets of Minneapolis today,” she said in a video shared to Instagram.
Fox News Digital’s Nora Moriarty and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
