‘I am not pro-ICE’: Danny Trejo addresses pro-ICE film backlash
Mexican-American actor Danny Trejo has declared his support for immigrants and opposition to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) amid backlash over his role in Pawn Shop, a controversial film being produced by Ben Shapiro’s Daily Wire and Dallas Sonnier’s Bonfire Legend in Livingston, Montana.
In a statement posted on social media on Friday, Trejo addressed criticism of his involvement in the production, which has drawn protests from local residents.
“Make no mistake. I am a proud Mexican who has always been and will always be a supporter of my community. I am also obviously, pro-immigrant. I am not pro-ICE. I know where I come from and I know our struggles,” he wrote.
Trejo added that his role was to tell stories as an actor, concluding his statement with, “God Bless you, Danny.”
Filming of Pawn Shop was temporarily suspended last weekend before resuming on Tuesday under a revised permit. The updated conditions require the production to maintain access to food pantry services for local residents at the Livingston Food Resource Center, protect the public from the filming of violent scenes and limit noise.
The production also agreed to address concerns about its use of private security, including ensuring that locals would not be policed or harassed on nearby public streets.
Shapiro criticised the temporary suspension, calling it “a violation of the First Amendment” and describing the film’s critics as “censorious jackasses” who oppose free speech.
Since filming began, residents have protested the alleged use of blank gunshots, pyrotechnics and a staged car wreck without proper notification to residents and businesses. The film’s opening scene has also drawn criticism for appearing to dramatise the fatal shooting of Renée Good by ICE in Minnesota in January.
The synopsis for Pawn Shop describes a story set amid chaos on the streets of Minneapolis. A young federal agent, left alone after his partner is seriously injured, seeks shelter in a neighbourhood pawn shop, where he becomes trapped with a traditional Hispanic father and his progressive college-age son.
The three men must confront their conflicting beliefs and fears during a crisis that tests their courage and humanity. Trejo stars alongside Harvey Keitel and Henry Thomas.
The production is the latest collaboration between Daily Wire and Bonfire Legend. Their previous film, Run Hide Fight: Infidels, faced protests from the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), with several crew members walking off the production over labour issues in South Carolina.
The earlier production also saw an on-set accident involving Jonathan Majors, in which his co-star JC Kilcoyne reportedly suffered cuts to his hands after falling through a window.
Deadline confirmed that Pawn Shop is not being produced under an IATSE contract and is operating under a “conditional start” with SAG-AFTRA.