Shakira is opening up about her experience as an immigrant living in the United States under President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
In a new interview with the BBC, the 48-year-old Colombian-born superstar reflected on how the country has changed since she first moved to Miami as a teenager in the mid-1990s to pursue a music career.
“I was only 19 when I moved to the U.S., like many other Colombian immigrants who come to this country looking for a better future,” Shakira said, noting that she read works by Leonard Cohen, Walt Whitman and Bob Dylan to learn English and understand the craft of songwriting.
A longtime advocate for social justice, the “Hips Don’t Lie” singer also addressed the challenges facing the Latin community following Trump’s return to the White House. Since stepping back into office earlier this year, the president has intensified efforts to combat alleged immigration violations, prompting protests in Los Angeles and across the country in response to raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“It means living in constant fear,” Shakira told the BBC when asked what it’s like to be an immigrant in the U.S. today. “And it’s painful to see.”
She added, “Now, more than ever, we have to remain united. Now, more than ever, we have to raise our voices and make it very clear that a country can change its immigration policies, but the treatment of all people must always be humane.”
In early February, while accepting the Grammy Award for best Latin pop album for 2024’s Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, Shakira dedicated the honor to “all my immigrant brothers and sisters in this country,” adding, “You’re loved, worth it and I will always fight with you.”
Shakira is among a growing number of musicians speaking out against federal immigration raids in Southern California. Following President Trump’s early June deployment of National Guard troops to L.A., artists including Olivia Rodrigo, Tyler, The Creator, Finneas, The Game, Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, Kehlani, Tom Morello, Reneé Rapp and Rebecca Black have publicly condemned the administration’s actions.
“I’ve lived in LA my whole life and I’m deeply upset about these violent deportations of my neighbors under the current administration,” Rodrigo wrote on her Instagram Story on Saturday (June 14). “LA simply wouldn’t exist without immigrants. Treating hardworking community members with such little respect, empathy, and due process is awful. I stand with the beautiful, diverse community of Los Angeles and with immigrants all across America. I stand for our right to freedom of speech and freedom to protest.”
The 22-year-old pop star and actress also shared a photo from what appeared to be a protest featuring a poster with a crossed-out crown and the words “in our USA,” a likely a reference to the “No Kings Day” demonstrations held on June 14 in response to Trump’s 79th birthday military parade in Washington, D.C.