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Professional wrestling star Brody King took a huge jab at President Donald Trump's immigration policies while performing in Mexico City for All Elite Wrestling on Wednesday night.
As the 6-foot-6 AEW heavyweight made his solo entrance to the ring in front of more than 12,000 fans in Mexico, while the show aired live on TBS in the United States, King flashed an 'Abolish ICE' t-shirt, easily captured by cameras.
King, who is from the Los Angeles suburb of Van Nuys, made the statement to end America's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency as a show of support for the protestors in his home region rallying against the Trump administration's deportation policies and tactics.
The protests have been going on for nearly two weeks, as the president has escalated matters by bringing in the National Guard and armed forces without the permission of Governor Gavin Newsom.
King's choice to protest as an American citizen in front of the energetic Mexican crowd comes with the backdrop of Trump's frosty relationship with the country, dating back to his first term in the White House.
The 38-year-old King is not the only Los Angeles-affiliated athlete to speak out about the protests, as Dodgers star Enrique 'Kike' Hernandez did so over the weekend.
Professional wrestler Brody King took a jab at President Donald Trump 's immigration policies
King flashed an 'Abolish ICE' t-shirt, easily captured by cameras, at AEW's show in Mexico
'I may not be Born & Raised, but this city adopted me as one of their own,' Hernandez said on Instagram. 'I am saddened and infuriated by what’s happening in our country and our city. Los Angeles and Dodger fans have welcomed me, supported me and shown me nothing but kindness and love.'
'This is my second home. And I cannot stand to see our community being violated, profiled, abused and ripped apart. ALL people deserve to be treated with respect, dignity and human rights. #CityOfImmigrants'
Trump's policies have seen masked federal agents arresting and deporting people from the country without due process.
The Dodgers, who visited Donald Trump in the White House recently as World Series champions, have not commented about the scenes.
'Honestly, I don’t know enough, to be quite honest with you,' Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said on Friday.
'I know that when you’re having to bring people in and deport people, all the unrest, it’s certainly unsettling for everyone. But I haven’t dug enough and can’t speak intelligently on it.'
Others in the sports world, such as Auburn head men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl, have backed Trump's decisions, insisting that the president is 'making America safe again.'
'We didn't need new laws, we just needed a president that would enforce the ones we already had! President @realDonaldTrump is making America safe again!,' he wrote on X.
King, 38, is from the Los Angeles suburb of Van Nuys and made the statement to end ICE
Protestors in Los Angeles have rallied against the Trump administration's deportation policies
Los Angeles Dodgers star Enrique 'Kike' Hernandez has also spoken out about the protests
Auburn's Bruce Pearl has backed President Trump over his handling of illegal immigration
The demonstrations in LA quickly turned into riots that saw downtown businesses looted and vehicles set ablaze.
Trump then called in 4,000 members of the National Guard and 700 Marines to quell the disorder.
California has sued to regain control of the National Guardsmen from Trump, arguing he overstepped his authority. That suit is working its way through federal court.
Over the weekend millions marched as part of the 'No Kings' events that were organized across the country.
The events were coordinated to coincide with Trump's military parade through Washington DC.
Trump has made deporting undocumented immigrants a key priority for his second term, after successfully campaigning against an alleged 'invasion' by criminals.
King was part of the winning team at AEW's 'Grand Slam Mexico' in a 14-man tag team match.
The 285-pound behemoth won 2022's 'Royal Rampage' match and is a former AEW World Trios Champion alongside Buddy Matthews and Malakai Black, also known by professional wrestling fans as Buddy Murphy and Aleister Black respectively.
