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Billie Eilish is not new to political statements, and she doesn’t mind being blunt on a ceremonial stage — she had told billionaires to “give your money away” at the 2025 Wall Street Journal’s Innovator Awards, addressing attendees like Mark Zuckerberg.

In her latest, while accepting the MLK Jr. Beloved Community Award for Environmental Justice in Atlanta over the weekend, the pop star used her speech to denounce ICE and the wider political climate in the US.

She said plainly that “we’re seeing our neighbours being kidnapped, peaceful protesters being assaulted and murdered, our civil rights being stripped,” and that people’s access to food and healthcare is increasingly becoming “a privilege for the wealthy instead of a basic human right.”

It was an unusually sharp moment for an awards night meant to celebrate service and community, and it landed just over a week after the Department of Homeland Security publicly criticised Eilish for what it called her “garbage rhetoric” in response to anti-ICE posts she had shared on Instagram.

Rather than softening her stance, she doubled down, reading from a tiny slip of paper and framing her environmental work as inseparable from migrant justice, civil rights and economic inequality.

“To be honest, I really don’t feel deserving,” she said, adding that it felt strange to be celebrated for environmental justice at a time when protecting communities and the planet “is not a priority for this administration.” The discomfort in her tone felt genuine.

Eilish’s activism has become more visible over the past year, particularly after she announced plans to donate over $11 million from her Hit Me Hard and Soft tour to groups working on climate justice, food equity and carbon reduction.

That tension was quietly acknowledged on stage by fellow honouree Mónica A. Ramírez, founder of Justice for Migrant Women, who spoke about the fear ICE has created in Latino communities and noted how significant — and risky — it was to be given a platform at such a moment. Her words served as a reminder that while celebrities may face backlash, activists and undocumented families bear consequences that are far more immediate and dangerous.

The evening, hosted by Anika Noni Rose and Aldis Hodge and attended by an eclectic mix of actors, athletes and political figures, was framed by Bernice King as a celebration of “humanity at its best” and a call to nonviolent community building. By the end of the night, Eilish said she felt more hopeful, crediting the stories in the room and thanking her parents — especially her mother — for raising her to use her platform rather than stay silent.

“I have this platform and I think it’s my responsibility to use it,” she said. “I feel like I’m just doing what anyone in my position should be doing.”

Cover photo: Reuters