Danny Trejo Faces Backlash Over Role in ICE-Centered Film ‘Pawn Shop’

Mexican-American actor Danny Trejo is one of the most prominent Latino actors. Many of us grew up watching him in films like Blood In, Blood Out, Desperado, Spy Kids, and Machete. Now, the 82-year-old actor is under fire for his participation in Pawn Shop, a film The Bulwark describes as pro-ICE, whose production has recently faced setbacks.

The upcoming film, co-produced by the Daily Wire, a right-wing media company founded by conservative political commentator Ben Shapiro, and Bonfire Legend, began filming in Livingston, Montana, in late September. According to The Bulwark, which obtained a draft of the script, Pawn Shop depicts Minneapolis immigration enforcement and anti-ICE protests through a pro-ICE lens, including a scene the outlet describes as paralleling the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good. That connection is the outlet’s assessment of the script, rather than a confirmed statement of the filmmakers’ intent.

The production drew criticism from the Livingston community, with one anonymous protester telling The Bulwark: “We want them to know: Don’t come do this sh[—]t in our town.” On October 3, the Livingston City Commission temporarily suspended the film’s permit following complaints about disruptions to the local food pantry, road closures, and inadequate warnings about hazardous stunts.

Livingston resident Alecia Jongeward previously told the Bozeman Daily Chronicle that actors in tactical gear running around her street had frightened her: “I was like, ‘Why are you running at me with guns?’ It was scary.” She added: “Someone later pointed out the guns aren’t real. It would have been nice to know. Everyone’s dogs (are) freaking out: gunshots, loud mobs, screaming heard for blocks at a time. They didn’t tell any of us (about this production).”

The Livingston City Commission reinstated the filming permit on October 5 following a nearly seven-hour public meeting, with conditions addressing security, neighborhood notification, and access to the local food pantry. Shapiro called the suspension “content discrimination” and “a violation of the First Amendment.” Those were his allegations, not a court ruling. The city attorney told commissioners that the question before them concerned compliance with the permit’s conditions, not the film’s content.

Trejo’s casting drew surprise online. In November 2025, he encouraged families affected by ICE raids, telling TMZ: “Help your neighbor and do whatever you can for people in need.” His specific role in Pawn Shop remains unclear, and his participation alone does not establish his views on ICE. The Los Angeles Times reported on October 5 that it had reached out to Trejo for comment; the reporting cited does not include his explanation for joining the film.