On Monday, June 9, 2025, Doechii took another step forward in her evolving career. The Florida-born Top Dawg Entertainment signee won Best Female Hip-Hop Artist at the 2025 BET Awards in Los Angeles, California at the Microsoft Theater. As the GRAMMY Award-winning recording artist stepped up to the podium and accepted her first-ever BET Award, she took time to shine a light on growing political conflicts in the U.S. and abroad. Rather, she spent more than a minute discussing the deployment of Marines and National Guard troops throughout downtown Los Angeles, California as civilians protest the actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
“I do want to address what’s happening right now outside of the building. There are ruthless attacks creating fear and chaos in our communities,” Doechii said. “Trump is using military forces to stop a protest. I want you all to consider what kind of government [we appear] to [have]. [Why is that] when every time we exercise our democratic right protest, the military is deployed against us?”
“I feel it’s my responsibility as an artist to use this moment to speak up for all oppressed people, for Black people, for Latino people, for trans people, for the people in Gaza. We all deserve to live in hope and not in fear,” she added.
On Friday, June 6, ICE reportedly raided several locations across the West Coast metropolis and triggered protests through the city. Tensions continued to rise throughout weekend as Donald Trump approved the deployment of approximately 2,000 National Guard troops. One day later, the Trump administration reportedly authorized the deployment of 700 Marines.
“In recent days, violent mobs have attacked ICE Officers and Federal Law Enforcement Agents carrying out basic deportation operations in Los Angeles, California. These operations are essential to halting and reversing the invasion of illegal criminals into the United States,” a statement from the White House reads. “In the wake of this violence, California’s feckless Democrat leaders have completely abdicated their responsibility to protect their citizens. That is why President Trump has signed a Presidential Memorandum deploying 2,000 National Guardsmen to address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester.”
Donald Trump claims the deployment of National Guard troops will address “the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester,” but lawmakers, activisits and officials monitoring the anti-ICE demonstrations say Trump’s actions have caused more harm than good.
“Federal troops themselves – this is not what they’re trained for,” Hina Shamsi of the ACLU told NPR. “And the concern is that this escalatory response creates not just legal and ethical jeopardy for troops, but exacerbates and creates real likelihood that harm and risk to civilians will occur.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta also fired back at Trump, calling his deployment of the state’s troops “illegal and unnecessary.” As a result, they have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration.
“Donald Trump is creating fear and terror by failing to adhere to the U.S. Constitution and overstepping his authority,” Newsom said. “This is a manufactured crisis to allow him to take over a state militia, damaging the very foundation of our republic. Every governor, red or blue, should reject this outrageous overreach. This is beyond incompetence — this is him intentionally causing chaos, terrorizing communities, and endangering the principles of our great democracy. It is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism. We will not let this stand.”
