For fans who may be wondering about ICE raids: ICE stands for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is tasked with enforcing immigration laws, combating human trafficking and smuggling, and investigating crimes related to entry and exit from the United States. Meanwhile, ICE raids are operations carried out by ICE to detain individuals suspected of living in the country illegally or violating immigration laws.

This is not a newly emerged phenomenon; it has been conducted over the past several years in many U.S. cities. These raids typically take place at workplaces, residential areas, or locations where ICE believes there are many undocumented individuals.

Especially since President Trump took office, he implemented a comprehensive deportation initiative aiming to detain 3,000 people per day, with a focus on major Democrat-led cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York.

Some argue that this is a necessary measure to maintain law and order as well as border security amid growing immigration tensions. On the other hand, many oppose it, criticizing ICE raids as overly aggressive, family-separating, instilling fear in immigrant communities, and even violating human rights.

Although this issue has virtually nothing to do with BTS, they were recently dragged into the debate after a TikTok user accused the group of remaining silent about ICE raids despite working in Los Angeles at the time. The video seems to suggest that BTS should “do soмєтнing” about these raids.

The post then gained traction among critics of ICE, who argued that global superstars like BTS should speak up about such raids when they come to a city and immerse themselves in its culture. They claimed it was inappropriate for BTS to ignore such struggles despite allegedly witnessing them during their stay.

However, these criticisms quickly met with a huge wave of backlash from fans and more objective netizens. In fact, dragging BTS into the ICE issue was seen as absurd and laughable.

Fans pointed out that BTS are musicians, not politicians, and should not be forced to engage in matters outside their professional field. Moreover, BTS are currently in the U.S. as international artists, working under work visas or the ESTA waiver program — not as U.S. citizens — and therefore should not be expected to participate in political debates in αмєяι¢α.

If BTS were to speak out in the wrong way, they could end up caught in political controversy or face consequences affecting their schedule, visas, or company relations. In addition, fans argued that demanding a music group to comment on U.S. immigration policy amounts to a form of performative activism.

Another point worth noting is that αмєяι¢αn artists themselves rarely speak up on political issues either at home or abroad, so forcing BTS to do so in the U.S. is unfair to K-pop idols.

It is understandable that, with BTS’s mαѕѕive influence, many people hope the group will take a stand on social and political matters. But in reality, such voices from influential figures like BTS require careful consideration and the right context:

- I don't know what that means either... BTS are musicians, not politicians. They have nothing to do with the problems & ills of the world. If anything their music allows me to take a mental break from it all

- BTS being told they need to speak on an immigration matter in a country where they themselves are expected to go through an immigration process (visa or ESTA) to enter and the matter is imposed by the president of said country

- BTS are not political leaders who can interfere in foreign affairs. They need boycott their political leaders who actually make a difference

- performative activism is as bad as the people they’re trying to cancel for not doing anything. maybe worse cos they’re literally Pretending to do soмєтнing… oh the tiktokers have rly gone and pmo today

- americans failing to understand that bts speaking on immigration matters in the us could get their visas revoked or not even approved by the government itself but then wanting them to tour in said country….

- some idols stay in LA just for fun but bts are the villains for going there to record an album?

- Them blaming a korean artists for the things that their govt should be held accountable for...

- what does this even mean?? what they got to do with ICE raids yall mfs performative asf

- By their "logic", every should happen just because some random person decides soмєтнing right?? So they should be able to make themselves into big celebrities and speak on topics they have nothing to do with, so what are they waiting for

- non-americans even CELEBS are getting denied entry into the states bc of trump’s visa regulations but yes bts needs to risk it bc who else but them, right? so any tourist that goes to LA now has to speak about ICE?