Billie Eilish, the singer and songwriter, publicly criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the administration of President Donald Trump while accepting an award in Atlanta on Saturday.
The 24-year-old Grammy winner received the 2026 MLK Jr. Beloved Community Environmental Justice Award at a ceremony held Saturday at the Hyatt Regency.
The Los Angeles resident received an award for promising to donate $11.5 million to groups working to protect the environment last autumn.
The lead singer of Birds of a Feather felt uneasy accepting the award from the King Center, as she believed the world was heading down the wrong path.
‘To be honest, I really don’t feel deserving,’ she said, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Eilish expressed feeling conflicted about being honored for her environmental work, noting that it felt odd to be celebrated when facing so many global and national challenges that make progress seem difficult.
Billie Eilish highlighted the case of Renee Good, a 37-year-old woman from Minnesota who died after an encounter with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Minneapolis on January 7th.
Eilish stated that people are being abducted, peaceful demonstrators are being attacked and killed, and fundamental rights are being taken away.
Earlier this month, Billie Eilish publicly disagreed with the Department of Homeland Security after referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as a ‘terrorist group’ on Instagram, following the death of Tony McDade.
Okay, so I’ve been following everything about her, everything, and apparently, she got some bad info about what happened. That’s what Tricia McLaughlin from DHS said – she actually told Billboard on January 9th that my queen was just misinformed, poor thing! It’s just…a misunderstanding. I knew she wouldn’t intentionally do anything wrong!
According to McLaughlin, the recently released video confirms what the Department of Homeland Security has been saying: the person in question was blocking officers and used their car as a weapon, trying to injure or kill them.
On Saturday, Billie Eilish stated that funding for tackling the climate crisis is being diverted to support fossil fuels and animal agriculture, which she believes are harming the planet.
The singer, known for ‘Everything I Wanted,’ expressed concern that getting enough to eat and seeing a doctor are increasingly becoming luxuries only the rich can afford, rather than fundamental rights for all Americans.
Billie Eilish, introduced by Wawa Gatheru of Black Girl Environmentalist, criticized the Trump administration’s environmental record, saying it was very poor.
She stated that this administration doesn’t seem to be making the environment or local communities a priority.
Eilish explained she struggled to feel celebratory knowing that many people don’t feel safe at home or while out in public.
The $11.5 million donation came from funds raised through Taylor Swift’s Changemaker Program, which was part of her Hit Me Hard and Soft tour.
Eilish shared that she was heartened by the positive contributions of the other people honored on Saturday, including Oscar winner Viola Davis, former NFL player Warrick Dunn, and Gloria James, LeBron James’ mother who is known for her charitable work.
Billie Eilish expressed her inspiration from the stories shared and the accomplishments of those being honored, as well as everyone present. She also voiced gratitude for the large community dedicated to carrying out Dr. King’s vision.
Billie Eilish credited her mother, Maggie Baird, 66, with instilling in her a passion for social activism, something she’s become known for since rising to fame as a musician.
Billie Eilish expressed her gratitude to her parents, saying she wouldn’t have achieved her success without their upbringing. She specifically thanked her mother, saying, “I wouldn’t be doing any of this without you, Mom.”
She explained that because she has a public platform, she feels a duty to use it, and believes anyone with a similar reach would do the same.
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2026-01-20 09:50