Lady Gaga Leaves Tokyo Crowd Silent With Emotional Speech on ICE and Fear in the U.S.

International pop star Lady Gaga used the stage at the MAYHEM Ball in Tokyo on Tuesday night to deliver an emotional condemnation of U.S. immigration enforcement actions, speaking out against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and dedicating a song to families she said are living in fear across the United States.

Addressing the crowd midway through the show in Tokyo, Gaga paused her set to reflect on what she described as the growing anxiety facing immigrant communities, particularly as she prepares to return home.

“I want to take a second to talk about something that’s extremely important to me,” she told fans. “Something important to people all over the world and especially in America right now.”

The singer said her “heart is aching” as she thinks about “the people, the children, the families, all over America, who are being mercilessly targeted by ICE,” adding that she believes their lives are being “destroyed right in front of us.”

Gaga also referenced concerns in Minnesota, saying she has been thinking about people there who are “living in so much fear and searching for answers on what we all should do.” She did not cite specific enforcement actions but framed her remarks around what she described as a broader climate of uncertainty and distress.

“When entire communities lose their sense of safety and belonging, it breaks something in all of us,” she said. Acknowledging that the concert was taking place outside the United States, Gaga emphasized solidarity with those affected back home. “I know we’re not in America right now, but we are with our community and we love you.”

The artist went on to dedicate the next song of the night to those she said are suffering, including people who feel “alone and helpless” or who have lost loved ones. She described the situation many families face as “an impossible time” marked by uncertainty about when relief might come.

“We need to get back to a place of safety and peace and accountability,” Gaga said, calling for compassion and responsibility from those in power. “Good people shouldn’t have to fight so hard and risk their lives for well-being and respect.”

In one of the most pointed moments of her speech, the singer directly addressed U.S. leadership. “I hope our leaders are listening,” she said. “I hope you’re listening to us ask you to change your course of action swiftly and have mercy on everyone in our country.”

While Gaga has previously spoken out on social and political issues, including LGBTQ+ rights and mental health awareness, her remarks in Tokyo were among her most direct statements this year regarding immigration enforcement. The speech drew loud applause from the audience, many of whom held up phones to record the moment.

She closed the address on a more personal note, explaining that during times when hope feels distant, it is her “community and my friends, my family” that sustain her. “So I would like to sing a song that does have some hope in it,” Gaga said, “to try to give us a little bit tonight.”

The MAYHEM Ball tour continues across Asia before Gaga returns to the United States later this week. The singer did not indicate whether she plans to expand on her comments once back home, but her message in Tokyo underscored how American political debates are resonating far beyond U.S. borders, even on one of pop music’s biggest global stages.

Originally published on Latin Times