The 68th Annual Grammy Awards, held this Sunday at the Crypto.com Arena, were ostensibly a celebration of the year’s sonic achievements. However, the glitz of the red carpet and the triumph of the winners were eclipsed by a searing, coordinated protest against the Trump administration’s intensified immigration enforcement. What was once “Music’s Biggest Night” transformed into a high-profile indictment of what several artists termed Donald Trump’s “private ICE army.” The evening’s celebratory tone was repeatedly punctured by references to “Operation Metro Surge,” the massive federal immigration crackdown that has recently paralyzed the Twin Cities. The atmosphere in the room was heavy with the fallout from recent tragedies in Minneapolis and Saint Paul—specifically the fatal federal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti—incidents that have turned Minnesota into a flashpoint for national unrest.
The Symbols of Solidarity
The protest began long before the first envelope was opened. A sea of “ICE OUT” pins adorned the lapels of some of the industry’s most powerful figures. In a rare move into political activism, Justin and Hailey Bieber joined the ranks of veterans like Carole King, Billie Eilish, and Finneas O’Connell in wearing the protest apparel.
The red carpet also served as a stage for Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, who arrived wearing a silver whistle—a tribute to the community “observers” currently patrolling the streets of Minneapolis.
“I’m here to honor the people who blow the whistle when they see ICE come in,” Vernon told Variety. “They are there to protect their community, and they’ve been doing it for weeks. The real work is in the streets of Minneapolis right now.”
Speeches from the Front Lines
As the winners took the stage, the rhetoric sharpened. Billie Eilish and Finneas, accepting the Grammy for Song of the Year for “Wildflower,” delivered one of the night’s most poignant moments.
“As grateful as I feel, I honestly don’t feel like I need to say anything except that no one is illegal on stolen land,” Eilish told the hushed crowd. “It’s just really hard to know what to say and what to do right now… but we need to keep fighting.”
The sentiment was echoed by British breakout Olivia Dean, who was named Best New Artist. In an emotional tribute to her heritage, Dean noted she was the “granddaughter of an immigrant” and a “product of bravery,” asserting that immigrants deserve celebration rather than persecution.
“We are Not Savages”
The most defiant moment of the night belonged to Bad Bunny. The Puerto Rican superstar, who has been a frequent target of the President’s rhetoric, secured the award for Best Música Urbana Album. He began his remarks with a blunt directive: “Before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say: ICE out.”
“We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens,” he continued to a standing ovation. “We are humans and we are Americans.”
Similarly, Kehlani, winning Best R&B Performance, used her maiden Grammy win to issue a call to arms for the creative community. “I hope everybody’s inspired to join together… and speak out against what’s going on,” she said, ending her speech with a raw, unedited condemnation of the agency.
The Political Aftermath
The 2026 Grammys will likely be remembered less for the records broken and more for the lines drawn. With “Operation Metro Surge” continuing to fuel protests and general strikes across the country, the music industry has signaled that it will no longer remain a neutral observer.
As the industry grapples with this new era of activism, the question remains: will these televised protests translate into legislative pressure, or will they simply deepen the cultural divide?