Kim Kardashian Slams Donald Trump's Immigration Policy in Scathing Speech: 'It's Really Tough'

While Kim Kardashian was being honored for her work as a prison reform advocate at Diane von Furstenberg’s Thursday, August 28, DVF Awards in Venice, Italy, the reality star took a moment to slam Donald Trump’s immigration policy.

Prior to receiving the award, Kardashian appeared before a roundtable of journalists and was asked her thoughts on the ICE raids that are taking place in the United States.

“In the news you hear, ‘Oh, it’s about people who have committed these crimes and they’re trying to help out our country,’” she said. “But then you hear about all of the people who have worked so hard to build our country, and so many people that are such a part of our country getting affected. People I know. People my friends know.”

While she noted “you want to believe that there’s a powerful message in protection,” she admitted it’s “not really happening like that.”

“It’s really tough, but I think that we have to do what we can to protect the people that have really supported and built our country,” she added.

Kardashian has been advocating for criminal justice reform for quite some time now. Her award was presented to her by Chris Young, a man she helped get out of a life sentence in prison. The reality star went to the White House in 2020 to ask for Young to be pardoned.

When he was 22, Young was arrested for a lower-level drug offense and was sentenced to a life in prison without parole. He had already served 11 years behind bars.

When speaking with the press prior to the awards ceremony, Young stated, “The late, great Tupac said: ‘We all came from a woman, got our name from a woman, got our game from a woman.’ We need to respect our women, and especially someone like Kim Kardashian.”

“She has all the success in the world — she did not have to make the decision to help people in prison,” he continued. “So that shows compassion. Compassion is different from empathy, because compassion has action.”

Later in the evening, when she received her award, Kardashian shared the “real honor” was not the accolade, but seeing Young “standing here free.”

“Chris, you embody everything this award stands for: your passion, your courage, your brilliance and your resilience,” she stated. "Thank you for letting me be part of your fight.”

After she finished her law degree earlier this year, Kardashian said she will continue to make prison reform her “mission.”

“Chris’ potential, his humanity, lit a fire in me. It showed me that this work is not just about changing laws, but about saving lives,” she elaborated. “My journey in criminal justice reform is ongoing and I hope to inspire bigger conversations and create further awareness where everyone can work together on this crucial issue. It’s time for a real systematic change to restore hope and give these people a fair chance at life and the opportunity for redemption after incarceration."

Kardashian has also been a vocal advocate for Erik and Lyle Menendez to be released from jail.

Erik and Lyle are currently serving life sentences after they were found guilty of murdering their parents in 1989, though they claimed they had been sexually assaulted by their father for years. They were both recently denied parole.

When asked by a media outlet if she would go back to the White House to address prison reform and, specifically, Erik and Lyle’s case, Kim said she would “love to.”

"[The Menendez brothers] are in a state prison so the governor is really in charge of that decision, but I would go to any administration and any White House to fight for the rights of people I believe in,” she replied.