"People are being swept up and torn from their families": Doechii makes bombshell statement against Trump during BET Awards 2025 winning speech

Doechii, who was honored with the BET Award for Best Female Hip Hop Artist on Monday, June 9, 2025, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, called out President Donald Trump’s administration.

According to a report in Entertainment Weekly, the singer's statement came up during her acceptance speech, when she bashed Trump for his response to the protests against immigration happening in the city.

The Anxiety singer stated:

“There are ruthless attacks that are creating fear and chaos in our communities in the name of law and order. Trump is using military forces to stop a protest, and I want you all to consider what kind of government it appears to be, when every time we exercise our democratic right to protest, the military is deployed against us.”

She continued:

“People are being swept up and torn from their families. And I feel it is my responsibility as an artist to use this moment to speak up for all oppressed people: for Black people, for Latino people, for trans people, for the people in Gaza. We all deserve to live in hope and not in fear and I hope we stand together, my brothers and sisters, and we protest against hate.”

Doechii, whose real name is Jaylah Ji’mya Hickmon, was awarded the BET award after competing against artists such as Doja Cat, Latto, Nicki Minaj, and Megan Thee Stallion. Her statement has brought attention to the LA protests.

What do we know about the LA protests that started after President Donald Trump ordered immigration raids?

According to a report in Forbes magazine, protests broke out on June 6, 2025, and June 7, 2025, in cities adjacent to Los Angeles over raids conducted by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). They targeted undocumented immigrants across the city.

The protests, which started at a small rate, reportedly intensified over the weekend. A report in the USA Today indicated that in response to it, President Donald Trump deployed 2000 National Guard members in the city.

The tensions escalated over the following days as people started throwing objects at the police and federal agents, who responded by firing tear gas and flash-bang rounds. Additional National Guards were reportedly deployed later, but protestors continued to vandalize properties, spray-painting anti-Trump and anti-ICE slogans on them, and burning the vehicles.

Now, the federal officials are planning to send over 700 Marines to assist the National Guard across the city.

However, it was opposed by the Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who publicly criticized the Trump administration for escalating tensions on June 9, 2025, for using the city as a “test case”. According to Anadolu Agency, she told the reporters:

“If you remember at the beginning of this administration, we were told that (immigration) raids would be to look for violent criminals, people who have warrants. But I don’t know how you go from a drug dealer to a Home Depot, to people’s workplaces where they’re just trying to make a living.”

Trump’s move was also criticized by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said on X (formerly Twitter):

“U.S. Marines have served honorably across multiple wars in defense of democracy. They are heroes. They shouldn't be deployed on American soil facing their own countrymen to fulfill the deranged fantasy of a dictatorial President.”

According to a recent report in the Associated Press, Trump has ordered the deployment of an additional 2000 National Guard members to Los Angeles, along with the 700 Marines, in response to ongoing protests related to immigration enforcement. The move comes amid opposition from California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

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