The Daily BS • Bo Snerdley Cuts Through It!
The Daily BS • Bo Snerdley Cuts Through It!

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Country star hits sour note with MAGA over ‘unfairly’ deported migrants— then says it isn’t politics

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BS BULLETIN:

  • Kacey Musgraves asked fans at her Chicago tour opener to support a nonprofit helping immigrant children.
  • She said some children’s parents had been deported “unfairly,” but insisted her appeal was “not a political thing.”
  • MAGA voices quickly asked the obvious question: What exactly is an “unfair” deportation?

Country superstar Kacey Musgraves stepped into America’s immigration fight during the opening night of her new tour — while simultaneously insisting she wasn’t stepping into America’s immigration fight.

That’s a difficult two-step even for a country singer.

Musgraves paused Friday night’s “Middle of Nowhere Tour” opener at Chicago’s United Center to ask fans to support the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights, a Chicago-based nonprofit providing legal services and advocacy for immigrant children.

The Grammy winner, who was celebrating her 38th birthday, told the audience she wanted donations rather than birthday gifts. Then came the phrase that lit up conservative social media. Musgraves said the organization provides aid and money to children whose parents have been deported “unfairly.”

“It’s not a political thing,” she added. “It’s just, these kids need help.”

Nobody reasonable needs to oppose helping children to notice the elephant standing on the concert stage.

Conservative influencer Paul A. Szypula asked what Musgraves meant by the phrase, arguing that people in the country illegally who receive due process and are subsequently removed aren’t being deported “unfairly.” Others were considerably less diplomatic. “She should focus on her music and leave the politics to the grown-ups,” conservative account Gunther Eagleman wrote.

Another critic asked why Musgraves didn’t simply donate her own money instead of soliciting cash from concertgoers.

The reaction wasn’t universally hostile, as Musgraves’ comments received applause inside the United Center, and supporters online praised her for using her celebrity to draw attention to children caught up in immigration proceedings.

The nonprofit Young Center serves unaccompanied and separated immigrant children, providing independent advocates and legal assistance as they navigate the immigration system. According to reporting on Musgraves’ appeal, the organization assisted nearly 2,000 children from 53 countries in 2024.

But Musgraves’ involvement isn’t exactly politically neutral territory. She has previously criticized President Donald Trump’s immigration policies and has already supported the Young Center through a charity sale of her wardrobe.

Earlier this year, Musgraves also invited the Gámez-Cuéllar brothers — a teenage mariachi trio whose family had been detained by immigration authorities — to open two Texas concerts after the family was released from ICE custody. The family’s detention had become a cause célèbre among immigration activists and some Democratic lawmakers.

MY QUICK TAKE

I have no problem with Kacey Musgraves raising money for kids. Help every kid you can. But “their parents were deported unfairly” followed immediately by “this isn’t political” is quite a trick.

And I’m genuinely curious about the definition of an “unfair deportation.”

Did the government forget to give somebody a participation trophy on the way out? Kacey can absolutely oppose Trump’s immigration policies. Just own it. Because the moment you tell thousands of people that the United States is deporting people “unfairly,” you aren’t merely tuning the guitar anymore.

You’re playing politics.

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