2025 is continuing to be a successful year for Doechii. After snagging her first-ever Grammy award for Best Rap Album in February, she keeps winning. At the 2025 BET Awards on Monday, the rapper accepted her award for Best Female Hip-Hop artist. However, her speech went viral on social media, not because of her talent, but for her heartfelt words.
The “Alligator Bites Never Heal” rapstress used her minutes-long speech to speak about something much bigger than her award: the ongoing ICE raids across the country.
“As much as I am honored by this award, I do want to address what’s happening right now outside of the building. There are ruthless attacks that are creating fear and chaos in our communities in the name of law and order,” she said during the awards ceremony.
While BET filmed the Awards Show celebrating 25 years of the network, a slew of protestors gathered in L.A. to protest against ICE.
What Did Doechii Say in Her Speech?
The majority of Doechii’s speech covered the ongoing protests in L.A. against ICE. Throughout her speech, the “Anxiety” rapper made it very clear that she doesn’t support President Trump’s opinion on immigration.
“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. What type of government is that?,” she continued in her speech.
Like Doechii, others feel that the President is punishing people’s right to protest. The audience at the BET Awards applauded Doechii’s sentiments and remarks.
“People are being swept up and torn from their families. And I feel it’s 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 my sisters, against hate, and we protest against it,” Doechii said.
What’s Happening in Los Angeles?
On Friday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers made several arrests during operations in the city of L.A. In response, thousands of civilians and L.A. residents protested against the immigration raids.
On Saturday, the Trump administration deployed thousands of people from the National Guard to L.A., allegedly to handle the large protests which he deemed violent riots. Then on Sunday, Trump activated 700 Marines and another 2,000 National Guard members to L.A.
Others, on the other hand, have stated the protests are peaceful, not riots. Trump did these actions without permission from the Governor of California Gavin Newsom, which isn’t common. According to PBS News, 1995 was the last time a president (which was President Lyndon B. Johnson) deployed the national guard without a governor’s consent.
On Monday, Governor Newsom announced that he is suing President Trump over his mobilization of the National Guard in Los Angeles.
“This is him intentionally causing chaos, terrorizing communities, and endangering the principles of our great democracy. It is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism,” part of Governor Newsom’s statement about the claim reads.
Other Black Women Celebrities Speak Out
Doechii isn’t the only Black woman celebrity to speak out about the ICE raids in L.A. Kehlani reposted an IG story message this week that read “Stop calling what’s happening as L.A. RIOTS. It’s RESISTANCE.” The “After Hours” singer even added her own response, writing, “ And long live the resistance. Every single one of them.”
Former “Catfish” host and podcaster Kamie Crawford took to her social media accounts to speak about ICE as well. On her Instagram stories this week she wrote a message, saying “immigrants are worth fighting for.”
“Even if you’re someone who just wants immigration reform and better checks & balances, I think we can objectively see what’s going on & agree that this is not the way. This is inhumane & it’s harm,” part of Crawford’s IG message read.
Social Media Reacts
In addition to celebrities, influencers and content creators on social media have posted about the ICE raids in L.A. For example, Ruthillea @rudyandthebrain on TikTok posted a video describing the history of Los Angeles, including its presence of Black and Latino people.
“But, what nobody wants to admit is this: the people you’re targeting helped build this city,” the influencer said in the video, which now has over 15,000 views.
One commenter wrote, “No one is illegal on stolen land, we were literally all immigrants once.”
“History needs to be acknowledged, the events are forcing this conversation. Everything is connected,” another user commented.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Did Her Speech Go Viral? Instead of focusing on her award, Doechii used the spotlight to address national immigration raids and civil-rights concerns, prompting widespread online discussion.
What Triggered the Protests in Los Angeles? A series of large-scale ICE raids targeting immigrant communities sparked mass protests downtown.