Protests swarmed the Montana set of a film that reportedly dramatizes the January killing of Renée Good. Produced by Ben Shapiro’s Daily Wire and Dallas Sonnier’s Bonfire Legend, the film, described as a “Pro-ICE” take on the events, was revealed to be under the working title “Pawn Shop.”
Now, Danny Trejo, who stars in the film alongside Harvey Keitel, has responded to his own controversy born from his participation in the movie.
“I am a proud Mexican who has always been and will always be a supporter of my community,” Trejo told TMZ on Friday. “I am also obviously pro-immigrant. I am not pro-ICE.”
According to TMZ, Trejo was “attracted to the role because it’s a positive depiction of a Latino character and a veteran.” He reportedly plays the owner of the titular pawn shop, which has been in his character’s family for generations and serves as a shelter for an ICE agent hiding from unrest caused by immigration enforcement. But fans of the actor were concerned and confused by his decision to take on the role, given the story’s reported pro-ICE stance and the filming of a scene that resembles the killing of Good.
“I know where I come from and I know our struggles,” Trejo told the outlet.
He expressed a similar sentiment on X Friday, writing, “Hey everyone. I want to address some social media comments about me. Make no mistake. I am a proud Mexican who has always been and will always be a supporter of my community. I am also obviously, pro immigrant. I am not pro ice.”
He added: “I know where I come from and I know our struggles. I am an actor. My job is to tell a story.”
Filming permits for “Pawn Shop” were temporarily suspended as Livingston, Mont., residents claimed they weren’t sufficiently informed about the shoot (including the use of simulated gunfire and street closures that affected traffic at a local food bank). Filming resumed on Oct. 6 after a local hearing about the filming — but not before Shapiro released a statement claiming a violation of his first amendment rights.
“Let us be clear: there’s only one reason the city commissioners ruled they were going to stop our production on the street: politics, pure and simple, and they pretty much admitted it,” Shapiro said in the statement. “One commissioner named Cindy Daniels said, quote, ‘I’m not willing to sacrifice the resources of the safety, the security of the mental health of our community. Absolutely not. This wasn’t a Hallmark film. This wasn’t, you know, ‘Christmastime in Livingston,’ and it wasn’t a romantic story.’ Well, I mean, I wasn’t aware that we had to fulfill your idea of what the story required.”
