Margaret Cho to Dean Cain on ICE plan: ‘You’re never gonna be white’

Comedian Margaret Cho has criticized actor Dean Cain for announcing his plan to join U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as part of former President Donald Trump’s “Defend the Homeland” deportation initiative, telling him in an Instagram video, “You’re never gonna be white, no matter how racist you are, no matter how wrong you act.” Cain said he will begin training later this year at a federal facility in Georgia.

In the same Aug. 10 post, the 55-year-old Korean American actor and activist referenced the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II, noting that members of Cain’s family were among those detained. “Why would you join ICE and encourage people to join ICE when your ancestors were interred in World War II?” she said. “Always wrong, never white, dumbass.”

Known for her politically charged comedy and outspoken criticism of racism, sexism and anti-immigrant policies, Cho has previously used her platform to address issues including Asian American representation, hate crimes and civil rights.

On HBO’s Last Week Tonight, John Oliver remarked that ICE must be “in trouble” if it is recruiting the “59-year-old former star” of “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.” He then added, “There’s no need for that guy to wear a mask because the chances of anyone recognizing him are fucking zero.”

Actor John Leguizamo called Cain a “loser” and “moron” in an Instagram post, adding, “Dean Cain, your pronouns are has/been.”

In a video posted to Instagram last week, Cain said he was approached by ICE officials after he voiced public support for the agency’s recruitment drive. He will take part in a five-month training program at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers before being sworn in as a special agent.

“I felt it was important to join with our first responders to help secure the safety of all Americans, not just talk about it, so I joined up,” Cain said in the video, which featured the Superman theme playing in the background.

The “Defend the Homeland” initiative is a $75 billion plan to recruit 10,000 new ICE agents by 2029. It sets a daily arrest target of 3,000, which critics have said could increase deportations of individuals without criminal records. As part of the recruitment push, the Department of Homeland Security waived ICE’s standard age limit, allowing applicants over the usual cutoff to join.