20 Celebrities Who Spoke out Against the Muslim Ban

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Published on
March 9, 2017

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on January 27, 2017 barring Syrian refugees from entering the United States, suspending all refugee admissions, and blocking citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. for 90 days. However, a federal judge temporarily blocked the ban along with the deportation of valid visa holders, according to CNN.

During and after these events, many celebrities have spoken out against the Muslim ban. Many of these celebrities have also previously spoken out against Donald Trump himself. So what did they have to say? Here’s how these 20 celebrities spoke out against the Muslim ban.

1. Mahershala Ali

Mahershala Ali speaking
Mahershala Ali | Christopher Polk/Getty Images

The Moonlight actor won a SAG award for outstanding performance by a male in a supporting role, and he used his acceptance speech as an opportunity to speak about his experience being a Muslim and what the ban means to him.

I think what I’ve learned from working on Moonlight is we see what happens when you persecute people. They fold into themselves, and what I was so grateful about in having the opportunity to play Juan was playing a gentleman. I saw a young man folding into himself as a result of the persecution of his community and taking that opportunity to uplift him and tell him that he mattered, that he was okay, and accept him. And I hope that we do a better job of that. When we kind of get caught up in the minutiae, the details that make us all different, I think there’s two ways of seeing that. There’s an opportunity to see the texture of that person, the characteristics that make them unique, and then there’s an opportunity to go to war about it and say, ‘That that person’s different from me,’ and ‘I don’t like you. So, let’s battle.’ My mother is an ordain minister. I’m a Muslim. She didn’t do backflips when I called her to tell her I converted 17 years ago. But I tell you now, we put things to the side, and I’m able to see her. She’s able to see me. We love each other. The love has grown, and that stuff is minutiae. It’s not that important.

2. J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling is in a purple dress smirking at the camera
J.K. Rowling | John Phillips/Getty Images

The author is very outspoken when it comes to politics, and has even compared her books to current events. But this time, she was very serious in responding to the Muslim Ban. The author brought up some similarities between the effects of the ban and the effects of dictatorship.

3. Kumail Nanjiani

Kumail Nanjiani in a suit and at a podium
Kumail Nanjiani | Charley Gallay/Getty Images

The Silicon Valley actor is very funny, but he got serious in response to the ban. He talked about the hard work it takes to immigrate to a new country. He also tweeted at Vice President Pence, House Speaker Paul Ryan, and Senator John McCain, saying that they should be “ashamed of yourselves.”

4. Ashton Kutcher

Ashton Kutcher dressed as Steve Jobs sitting on a desk.
Jobs | Open Road Films

Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher tend to keep a low profile. But this ban really got Kutcher to open up. The Ranch star talked a little about the ban at the SAG Awards, but he went into more detail about his wife, Mila Kunis’ history on Twitter.

5. David Harbour

David Harbour dressed as police officer Jim Hopper
David Harbour on Stranger Things | Netflix

The cast of Stranger Things won a SAG award for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series. Actor, David Harbour took the reins by giving a battle cry against the ban. He said:

We will shelter freaks and outcasts, those who have no home. We will get past the lies. We will hunt monsters and when we are at a loss amidst the hypocrisy and the casual violence of certain individuals and institutions, we will, as per Chief Jim Hopper, punch some people in the face when they seek to destroy the weak and the disenfranchised and the marginalized.

6. Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence posing on the red carpet
Jennifer Lawrence | Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

The Oscar winner is usually seen being silly and likes to keeps it light. She also stays away from social media. However, the ban pushed her to speak out. The actress gave a powerful statement to show solidarity on Facebook.

7. Rihanna

Rihanna smiling on the red carpet
Rihanna attends the 2nd Annual Diamond Ball | Jason Kempin/Getty Images

The pop star doesn’t hold back when it comes to haters on Twitter. So it’s no surprise that she didn’t mince words when talking about Donald Trump. She tweeted her thoughts on the ban and said that it will ruin our country.

8. Alyssa Milano

Alyssa Milano resting her head on the palm of her hand
Alyssa Milano in Charmed | Paramount

The actress tends to keep a low profile, but she does speak out about topics she finds important. One is women being allowed to breastfeed without shame and now, she has shown support for her good friend and all refugee families, by tweeting her opinion on the matter.

9. Ellen DeGeneres

Ellen DeGeneres talking to Kermit the Frog
Ellen DeGeneres on The Ellen DeGeneres Show | NBC

Although the talk show host typically keeps things light, she did respond to the Muslim ban on Twitter. She gave a simple and sweet statement about what she thinks America is.

10. Barbra Streisand

Barbra Streisand talking at a podium
Barbra Streisand | Emma McIntyre/Getty Images

The icon made it clear where she stands on the Muslim ban on Twitter, but she didn’t stop there. She also wrote an essay for The Huffington Post about Donald Trump. “He has demonstrated he is both dangerous and unfit for office,” she wrote. She also called him, “clueless, reckless, graceless, mindless and heartless.”

11. Yara Shahidi

Yara Shahidi accepting the Generation Next Award at a podium
Yara Shahidi at Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards | Earl Gibson III/Getty Images

The young, Black-ish star gave a powerful statement about her identity and her family. Since her mother is a black woman and her father is Iranian this ban could have kept them apart years ago. Hers is definitely a touching and thoughtful message.

12. George Takei

Actor George Takei at a desk on the set of Star Trek
Actor George Takei | Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

The actor and activist often talks publicly about LGBTQ rights, but he also took time to support those who would be effected by the Muslim ban. He pointed out a very interesting part of the executive order on Twitter. It doesn’t look like he believes President Trump is doing this for the reason he claims.

13. Seth Rogen

Seth Rogen talking on the phone
Seth Rogen in Knocked Up | Universal Pictures

Once again, the order got another lighthearted celebrity to open up. Seth Rogen got very serious about the Muslim ban and talked about his own family’s history. He also helped spread the word about a protest against the ban in Los Angeles with a tweet.

14. Simon Helberg

Simon Helberg and Jocelyn Towne
Simon Helberg and Jocelyn Towne | Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

The award show season gave many celebrities the opportunity to express their thoughts on current events. The Big Bang Theory actor made a big statement at the SAG Awards by holding a protest sign along with his wife, Jocelyn Towne, who had the words “Let them in” written on her chest.

15. Mindy Kaling

MIndy Kaling dressed as a doctor
Mindy Kaling in The Mindy Project | Universal Television

The funny actress gave a heartwarming plea against the Muslim ban. Like many other celebrities, she did this by talking about her own parents and their history.

16. Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen on stage with his guitar
Bruce Springsteen | Buda Mendes/Getty Images

The singer was performing in Australia when he spoke out against the ban. He called the executive order “anti-democratic and fundamentally un-American” according to Vulture, he then added, “America is a nation of immigrants.”

17. Dev Patel

Dev Patel in a tux holding Sunny Pawar
Actors Sunny Pawar and Dev Patel | Kevin Winter/Getty Images

The Lion star was one of the many celebrities who told USA Today about how he felt about the ban:

I thought I had walked into a nightmare. Of course, the first thought in my head was women and children turning up to these shores with so much hope in their eyes being turned away. I can’t imagine the pain they must be going through and for those families that are being separated, that voice of negativity and divisiveness at times like this. It’s terrifying. What gives me hope is all the people out there, those courageous human beings in the streets, in the airports, trying to spread positivity at least.

18. Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Julia Louis-Dreyfuss in Veep on the phone at a desk
Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Veep | HBO

The actress also used her SAG acceptance speech as an opportunity to speak out. “I want you all to know that I am the daughter of an immigrant,” she said. “My father fled religious persecution in Nazi-occupied France. And I’m an American patriot and I love this country. And because I love this country, I am horrified by its blemishes and this immigrant ban is a blemish and it’s un-American.”

19. Chelsea Handler

Chelsea Handler standing and smiling
Chelsea Handler | Netflix

The talk show host pointed out something that all the banned countries have in common on Twitter. She has also been fighting back against Trump in interesting ways, like shopping with her friends at Nordstom, the department store that announced it would stop carrying Ivanka Trump’s clothing line.

20. Taylor Schilling

Taylor smiling in a red dress on the red carpet
Taylor Schilling | Jason Merritt/Getty Images

The cast of Orange Is the New Black won a SAG Award, and in her speech, the lead actress pointed out the diversity of the cast.

We stand here representing a diverse group of people. Representing generations of families who have sought a better life here from places like Nigeria, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Ireland. We know that it’s going to be up to us and all of you to keep telling stories that show what unites us is stronger than the forces that seek to divide us.

Follow Nicole Weaver on Twitter @nikkibernice

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