Shakira is speaking out about the dire sociopolitical instability facing immigrants in the U.S. today.
In a new interview with BBC, the Colombia-hailing pop star alluded to president Donald Trump‘s xenophobic attitude toward immigrants, which were among the key tenets of his administration protested nationwide yesterday as thousands marched in cities from Los Angeles to Austin in the “No Kings” rallies.
When asked how it feels to be an immigrant living in America today, the four-time Grammy winner responded, “It means living in constant fear, and it’s painful to see.”
She continued, “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.”
Elsewhere in the interview, speaking to her own immigration experience to the U.S. at the age of 19, she said she was “like many other Colombian immigrants who come to this country looking for a better future.”
In February, as she took the Grammys stage to accept her award in Best Latin Pop Album for Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, the “TQG” singer took the opportunity to express solidarity with the immigrant community, saying, “I want to dedicate this award to all my immigrant brothers and sisters in this country. You are loved. You are worth it, and I will always fight with you.”
It was a move celebrated by the likes of The View‘s Ann Navarro, who said, “She took the chance, she took the opportunity to use her platform to defend our community that’s being targeted and profiled. More people need to lose the fear and do what Shakira did last night.”
