‘Law & Order SVU’ Episode Sparks MAGA Fury
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is receiving backlash online from MAGA members over the Season 27 premiere episode’s portrayal of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Why It Matters
Law & Order: SVU is one of television’s longest-running dramas, with a history of tackling sensitive and timely social issues through its storylines.
The show’s portrayals of law enforcement, criminal justice and current events have often attracted public commentary from a wide range of political perspectives. A recent controversy erupted after an episode that featured an ICE raid was perceived to carry a political message, prompting a strong reaction from supporters of President Donald Trump.
The incident highlights how network television can become a focal point for broader discussions about media influence and political polarization.
What To Know
In the SVU Season 27 premiere last week, Mariska Hargitay’s character, Olivia Benson, was investigating a sexual assault that took place in an apartment building. Her key witness is an undocumented maintenance worker, Jorge “George” Ruiz, who is targeted by ICE.
During Tuesday’s episode of The Megyn Kelly Show, host Megyn Kelly blasted the show’s portrayal of ICE.
“Just the other night, Law & Order: SVU had an episode that was ripping on ICE, trying to make ICE look like a bunch of dirty b*******,” Kelly said. “The premise of the episode—I’m trying to get it straight in my head—but it was basically that an illegal immigrant was the only witness to a rape, and he didn’t want to show up in court to testify because the evil ICE was going to arrest him and deport him. So Olivia Benson, you know, played by Mariska Hargitay, couldn’t make her case because her eyewitness was an illegal, and the big bad ICE was going to take him away and made him reluctant to testify.”
After showing the Law & Order clip during the segment, Kelly continued: “Everyone’s looking disgusted at the ICE agent. The propaganda in the face of ICE getting literally shot at just days ago.”
Kelly appeared to be referring to a shooting at an ICE facility in Dallas last week.
Katie Miller, a conservative podcast host and former adviser to Elon Musk, also took aim at the Law & Order: SVU episode.
“If you have any curiosity who is stoking the violence against our brave ICE Officers. This is the premiere episode of @NBC,” the wife of Trump aide Stephen Miller said on X on Monday. “Law and Order this week. Why is NBC condoning this on their air?”
At the time of publication, her post racked up more than 760,200 views and 20,000 likes.
In response, conservative commentator Tomi Lahren wrote: “This is disgusting. Have they no moral floor??”
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to Newsweek on Wednesday: “Not even a week ago, our ICE law enforcement was shot up by a deranged lunatic who wanted to terrorize ICE and not even a week later Law and Order: SVU released an episode that further villainizes our brave ICE law enforcement. NBC and Hollywood elites must stop fanning the flames of division.”
She added: “Our ICE law enforcement work night and day to protect Americans, including by removing rapists and child molesters from America’s streets. Our officers are facing a more than 1000% increase in assaults against them. This is irresponsible and pathetic.”
What People Are Saying
In the replies underneath Kelly and Miller’s posts, many criticized the show.
On YouTube:
@MarkGay-n8d commented: “Hollywood sucks.”
@TwitX2007 commented: “I’m so sick of the undermining.”
@rick-d7s commented: “They infiltrate pretty much everything. People don’t want to watch politics in their regular shows.”
On X:
@DogeMemery posted: “Fact: the less TV you watch the less susceptible to propaganda you are.”
@GlammaSooz posted: “SVU has been going woke for a long time. It’s become unwatchable.”
@netcurious posted: “Seriously? That’s disgusting. The @FCC [Federal Communications Commission] should pull their license.”
Others, meanwhile, defended the program.
X user @nycdreamer07 posted: “What a joke of a tweet. Get a life and leave tv shows alone.”
@mrdub1525 posted: “Tweets like this prove the statistics about our country’s declining cognitive abilities.”
What Happens Next
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit Season 27 airs new episodes on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC. They are available to stream the next day on demand via Peacock.