Lady Gaga speaks out against ICE during Tokyo concert

Lady Gaga delivered an emotional speech criticizing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during one of her Mayhem Ball concerts in Tokyo, Japan.

Performing at the Tokyo Dome, where she is wrapping up a five-night run that ends Jan. 30, Gaga paused the show to address the situation facing immigrant families in the United States.

“I want to take a second to talk about something that’s extremely important to me,” she told the crowd. “My heart is aching thinking about the people, the children, the families, all over America, who are being mercilessly targeted by ICE.”

Gaga said she was preparing to return home in the coming days and was struggling with what she described as the pain and fear many families are experiencing. She added that lives are being “destroyed right in front of us.”

She is the latest celebrity to publicly condemn ICE, following figures such as Mark Ruffalo, Olivia Wilde and Wanda Sykes, who recently spoke out at events including the Golden Globes and the Sundance Film Festival.

During the speech, Gaga also referenced the recent shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The singer is scheduled to perform in nearby St. Paul in April.

“I’m thinking about Minnesota and everyone back at home who is living in so much fear and searching for answers,” she said. “When entire communities lose their sense of safety and belonging, it breaks something in all of us.”

Gaga told the Tokyo audience that even though the concert was taking place outside the U.S., she felt connected to the people affected back home. “We are with our community and we love you,” she said.

She then dedicated the song Come to Mama from her album Joanne to people who are suffering or grieving. Gaga called for “safety and peace and accountability,” and urged leaders to change course and show mercy.

“At a time where it doesn’t feel easy to have hope, it is my community, my friends and my family that hold me up,” she said before performing the song.

Throughout her career, Gaga has frequently used her platform to support the LGBTQ+ community. On the Mayhem Ball tour, she has worn a sash in the colors of the transgender flag and, at some shows, waved the flag onstage. During her performance of “Paparazzi,” her long cape transforms into a rainbow Pride flag.

Gaga’s Tokyo dates conclude tomorrow. It is not yet known whether she will attend the Grammy Awards on Sunday. She received seven nominations this year, including album of the year for Mayhem and song and record of the year for Abracadabra.

The seven nominations mark a new personal record for Gaga, surpassing the six nominations she received in 2010.