Danny Trejo denies being pro-ICE amid film controversy

Actor Danny Trejo is facing backlash following his casting in the thriller “Pawn Shop,” a project produced by Ben Shapiro’s media company, The Daily Wire, and Bonfire Legend. The film, which centers on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer seeking refuge in a Minneapolis pawn shop, has been criticized by some as being pro-ICE.

Trejo, 82, addressed the controversy on Instagram, stating, “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.”

Trejo’s son, Gilbert Trejo, clarified that his father was unaware of the political affiliations behind the production when he accepted the role. Gilbert stated that the agent described the film as a “complicated story” about a hardworking Mexican shop owner seeking peace, rather than a political statement. He noted that Danny Trejo did not know who Ben Shapiro was until two weeks after filming had already commenced and expressed frustration that his father is contractually unable to distance himself from the project without facing legal consequences.