Danny Trejo is facing a wave of criticism over Pawn Shop, a Daily Wire thriller that has drawn attention for its immigration-related storyline and reported parallels with real events in Minneapolis. The Machete and Spy Kids actor has now addressed the controversy, making his position on immigration and the film’s political associations clear.
But the story has become more complicated. Trejo’s son, Gilbert, has made claims about when the actor learned of producer Ben Shapiro’s involvement and why he may be unable to walk away from the project. Meanwhile, the film’s production has already faced protests, a temporary permit suspension and questions about its impact on the Montana community where it was shot.
Danny Trejo Responds to ‘Pawn Shop’ Backlash: ‘I Am Not Pro-ICE’
Trejo broke his silence on Friday, October 9, following criticism of his decision to star in Pawn Shop, a thriller produced by Ben Shapiro’s Daily Wire and Dallas Sonnier’s Bonfire Legend.
In a statement to TMZ, the actor addressed the political controversy directly, identifying himself as a supporter of immigrants and his community.
“obviously pro-immigrant”
Trejo also made his position on US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) unmistakable:
“I am not pro-ICE.”
The actor described himself as a proud Mexican who has consistently supported his community. He also explained that his participation in the film should be understood in the context of his profession, rather than automatically interpreted as an endorsement of its political perspective.
“I am an actor. My job is to tell a story.”
The statement was also reportedly posted on Trejo’s social media. His representative confirmed the quotes but offered no additional comment.
The response came after criticism from people who felt that appearing in a Daily Wire production was difficult to reconcile with Trejo’s public image as a champion of Latino stories. His comments framed the role as professional work while reaffirming his stated support for immigrants.
However, the actor’s own explanation was only one part of the developing story. A statement from his son days later raised further questions about the circumstances surrounding the production.
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Why Danny Trejo Agreed to Star in the Daily Wire Thriller
According to TMZ, which cited sources connected to the production, Trejo told people on set that he accepted the role because it offered a positive portrayal of a Latino character who is also a veteran.
That character owns the Minneapolis pawn shop at the centre of the film. The business is reportedly a family establishment that has been passed down through generations.
The reported appeal of playing a sympathetic Latino veteran provides context for Trejo’s explanation that he approached Pawn Shop as an acting job. Nevertheless, the film’s political associations have become a major point of discussion surrounding his casting.
Harvey Keitel also stars in the thriller, playing another veteran whom Trejo’s character hires to work at the pawn shop. Henry Thomas has also been reported as part of the cast, although his role has not been detailed in the sources reviewed.
Michael Polish directs the film from a screenplay by Jake Harlen. The production brings together Shapiro’s Daily Wire and Sonnier’s Bonfire Legend, the same producing partnership behind the earlier film Run Hide Fight: Infidels.
The central question surrounding Pawn Shop is not simply who appears in it, but how its story approaches immigration enforcement and the events that inspired its reported narrative.
What Is ‘Pawn Shop’ About? Inside the Film’s ICE Storyline
The official logline sets up a tense situation involving a young ICE officer whose partner is killed during a riot in Minneapolis.
Forced to complete a high-stakes arrest alone, the officer finds himself pursued by an angry mob. He eventually barricades himself inside a neighbourhood pawn shop with a Hispanic veteran and the veteran’s progressive college-age grandson.
The three must confront a choice framed around two competing ideas: the rule of law and chaos.
That premise has placed the film at the centre of a wider controversy, particularly because reporting on the production has identified similarities between its story and real events involving immigration enforcement in Minneapolis.
Reported parallels with Renee Good’s fatal shooting
Renee Good, a 37-year-old Minneapolis woman, was fatally shot by an ICE agent on January 7, 2026, during a federal immigration enforcement surge in the city.
Videos of the incident circulated widely, prompting protests. Accounts of what happened differed sharply: federal officials described the encounter in terms of a threat to officers, while eyewitnesses and critics disputed that characterisation.
TMZ obtained footage from the Pawn Shop set that appeared to show the film recreating the shooting.
Montana Free Press, after reviewing a leaked copy of the screenplay, reported that the script contains thinly veiled references to both Good’s killing and the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia. According to the outlet, these references are presented through a conservative, tough-on-immigration perspective.
As Montana Free Press described the screenplay, the protagonist shoots a protester after she drives into his car and kills his partner. The Bulwark, which first reported on the leaked script, also said the story features an immigrant who is later revealed to be an MS-13 boss.
The Daily Wire has described Pawn Shop as a pro-ICE project. These reported story elements and the film’s stated political positioning have contributed to the scrutiny surrounding its production and Trejo’s involvement.
Gilbert Trejo Says His Father Is ‘Handcuffed’ to the Film
On Monday, October 12, Gilbert Trejo published a statement defending his father and claiming that the actor was initially presented with a story about a hardworking Mexican shop owner positioned as its sympathetic character. According to Gilbert, that premise appealed to his father. He said his father “jumped at the idea of playing a good guy.” Gilbert then claimed that the family, along with others involved, learned about Shapiro’s participation only after filming began. He said he had to explain to his father who Shapiro was. These claims have not been independently confirmed. The statement also offered an explanation for why Trejo had not publicly criticised the production or withdrawn from it, according to his son. Gilbert claimed that his father was contractually restricted from criticising Shapiro or the film and could face a lawsuit if he walked away from the project. He described the situation by saying his father was “handcuffed to this stupid project.” Gilbert further claimed that these alleged contractual restrictions explained why Trejo could not release the statement he wanted to make. Complex reported on Gilbert’s post and noted that neither the alleged contract terms nor the timeline of when Trejo learned about Shapiro’s involvement had been independently confirmed. No response from the production addressing those specific claims appeared in the sources reviewed.
Gilbert also criticised the public reaction to his father, arguing that many people had turned against the actor without knowing the facts.
His statement introduced a distinction between Trejo’s public association with the film and his son’s account of how that association developed. However, the claims remain attributed to Gilbert rather than established facts.
Why ‘Pawn Shop’ Filming Was Suspended in Livingston, Montana
The controversy surrounding Pawn Shop began before Trejo’s public statement. The production encountered opposition in Livingston, Montana, where residents and local businesses raised concerns about the filming arrangements.
Complaints included street closures, blank gunfire, pyrotechnics and a staged car wreck. Residents argued that neighbours had not received adequate warnings about the activity.
The disruption also affected the Livingston Food Resource Center. The organisation said it had not been notified about the production plans and that street closures and security personnel made it more difficult for people to access food assistance.
Its executive director, Kaya Patten-Fusselman, told HuffPost:
“It’s genuinely impacting our clients’ ability to get food.”
The concerns led to a special meeting of the Livingston City Commission on Saturday, October 3.
Commissioners voted to temporarily suspend the filming permit held by Bonfire Pawn Shop LLC. Commissioner Cindy Daniels described the situation as:
“a runaway train.”
Commission chair Melissa Nootz said the city lacked the ordinances and codes needed to meet the demands residents were making. Variety also reported that the production had failed to provide proper warnings about hazardous stunts.
The suspension was scheduled for review on Monday, October 5, pending a legal opinion from the city attorney.
The filming permit was reinstated under new conditions
After a meeting that lasted hours and drew a crowd spilling into the hallway, the commission voted unanimously on October 5 to reinstate the permit under revised conditions.
The production was required to maintain access to the food resource centre, protect the public from violent scenes and noise, keep informational signage visible to neighbours, establish buffer zones around filming areas and ensure hired security protected the set rather than policing residents.
According to HuffPost, the conditions included access to the food centre on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
City attorney Jon Hesse told commissioners that the issue before them was whether the production had complied with its permit, not whether officials agreed with the film’s politics. Producers had urged the commission to reinstate the permit, and Sonnier addressed the meeting.
Filming resumed on Tuesday, October 6.
Ben Shapiro Criticises the Shutdown as Filming Resumes
Following the permit suspension, Shapiro criticised the decision, arguing that it had resulted from political pressure.
He said the shutdown came:
“under pressure from radical Left-wing protesters”
Shapiro also characterised the suspension as:
“content discrimination” and “a violation of the First Amendment.”
On his show, he said the commissioners’ decision came down to:
“politics, pure and simple.”
The Daily Wire subsequently announced that principal photography on Pawn Shop had wrapped. As of the information available in the supplied reporting, no release date or distribution plan had been announced.
The production’s completion marks a new stage for the film, but it does not resolve the questions raised about its storyline, its filming arrangements or the claims made by Trejo’s son.
‘Pawn Shop’ and the Previous Daily Wire Production Controversy
The project is not the first collaboration between Daily Wire and Bonfire Legend to face resistance.
Run Hide Fight: Infidels, an earlier production involving the companies, faced an IATSE picket in March.
IndieWire also reported, citing an anonymous former crew member whose employment the outlet said it had verified, that some crew members were surprised by the film’s politics.
SAG-AFTRA told IndieWire that the production had been in “conditional start” status. The designation meant that most of the signatory process was complete and the producers had been allowed to begin filming while outstanding matters were resolved.
That reporting adds another layer to the discussion around Pawn Shop, although it does not independently establish the contract claims Gilbert Trejo made about his father.
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Conclusion: Danny Trejo’s ‘Pawn Shop’ Controversy Continues
Danny Trejo’s response to the Pawn Shop backlash made his stated support for immigrants clear, while his son Gilbert’s subsequent statement raised unverified claims about the actor’s knowledge of Ben Shapiro’s involvement and his alleged contractual restrictions.
At the same time, the Daily Wire thriller has faced scrutiny over its reported parallels with real immigration-enforcement events and the disruption caused during filming in Livingston, Montana. The permit was reinstated under revised conditions, production resumed on October 6, and principal photography has since wrapped.
With no release date or distribution plan announced in the supplied reporting, the film’s eventual reception remains unknown. For now, the central facts are the actor’s public statement, his son’s attributed claims and the production controversy that has brought Pawn Shop into the spotlight.
Source and Research Disclaimer: This article has been prepared through research based on the sources listed below and the information available at the time of writing. Claims, allegations, reported events and quotations have been attributed to their respective sources where applicable. Details that have not been independently confirmed are presented as unverified claims, and information may change as the story develops.
Sources
- Variety — Danny Trejo’s statement on Pawn Shop
- Deadline — Danny Trejo responds to backlash over the Daily Wire ICE film
- Complex — Danny Trejo’s son claims father is ‘handcuffed’ to Ben Shapiro movie: ‘It’s F*cked Up’
- Variety — Ben Shapiro and the production shutdown
- Deadline — Permit reinstatement and production conditions
- Montana Free Press — Livingston meeting and leaked screenplay
- HuffPost — Production disruption and the Montana food resource centre
- TheWrap — Permit suspension
- The Bulwark — Reporting on the leaked Pawn Shop script
- IndieWire — Crew account and SAG-AFTRA status
- MPR News — Renee Good shooting
- Daily Wire — Announcement that Montana filming had wrapped
Featured Image Credit: Toglenn, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
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