Karol G Says She’s Been Warned Not To Speak Out Against ICE

Karol G is eager to become more outspoken on U.S. politics but says her advisers have warned she may be putting herself at risk if she does.

The Colombian singer-songwriter graces the cover of Playboy’s latest issue, and in the accompanying interview, admits she’s angered by President Donald Trump’s recent crackdown on immigrants. As for speaking out publicly on the issue, however, she said, “People will say, ‘It’s better you don’t.’”

“Because if you say the thing, maybe the next day you’ll get a call: “Hey, we are taking your visa away,’” she told the outlet, per Variety. “You become bait, because some people want to show their power.”

A Grammy and eight-time Latin Grammy winner, Karol G is set to make history this month when she becomes the first Latina performer to headline Coachella. And much like Bad Bunny’s 2023 Coachella gig, her appearance at the music festival has already been proclaimed a cultural milestone.

Karol G is, of course, not the first celebrity to acknowledge having reservations about making political statements in the current sociopolitical climate. In her Playboy chat, she cited the magnitude of her Coachella performance as her impetus for keeping mum on social issues at the moment.

“I have a huge stage, and that’s why I want to wait, and if someone was ever to do something to me, I want to stand firmly on my stage for my community,” she said. “So that’s why I may have to be more careful, and wait for my turn, and ensure that, through that opportunity, I can talk and represent something more.”

Though many of her musical contemporaries denounced U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s actions by donning “ICE Out” pins at the Grammy Awards in February, Karol G would like the impact of her words to resound further.

“I don’t want to just say ‘ICE Out’ and have nothing come from it. … I’m probably going to go a little harder than that,” she said. “I just want to represent my community. But what I’m telling you is that, as a human being, I want that to mean more.”