Rosie O’Donnell rants that Trump-era ICE facilities are concentration camps where inmates are raped

Actress Rosie O'Donnell Fires Off New TikTok Rant About ICE, Trump, and “Concentration Camps”

In a video posted to TikTok last Friday, actress and former talk‑show host Rosie O'Donnell compared U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities to Nazi concentration camps, while lambasting former President Donald Trump’s administration. The clip, titled “Friday Ramble,” was uploaded to O'Donnell’s personal TikTok account and quickly drew both attention from the White House and criticism from some observers.

O'Donnell, who has long been a vocal critic of Trump and his policies, began the video by noting the recent death of country‑music legend Dolly Parton. She then turned to a broader critique, stating, “We’re making concentration camps. … We’re rounding up people without a warrant. We’re raping children in detention, in ICE detention. They’re all getting pregnant.” She added questions about the treatment of children and the fate of any babies born in ICE facilities, demanding, “What happens to those babies? What do they do with them?”

The actress further said that Trump’s supporters were “in denial,” claiming, “He doesn’t care about you one bit. This is not a president for all people. This is a president for people like him… It’s the White men, it’s patriarchy running the world and it’s deadly.” She concluded by calling for leaders with “a heart,” citing Dolly Parton as a model.

O'Donnell’s remarks echo a similar video she posted in July 2025, in which she again compared ICE to Nazi Germany. “I think Americans should stand up and say, ‘No way. You’re not going to silence us… We, the people, have the right to speak up against atrocities which are happening on a daily basis,’” she said in that earlier clip. The 2025 video also included a call for ICE to be held accountable for “daily atrocities.”

The White House responded promptly. Spokeswoman Lauren Bis called O'Donnell’s comparisons “gross” and issued a statement to Fox News Digital. In her remarks, Bis noted that ICE had recently arrested several illegal aliens charged with violent crimes, including strangulation, battery, and child molestation. She added, “This is gross. These types of comparisons of ICE to Nazis are contributing to our brave law enforcement officers facing a more than 1,300% increase in assaults against them and an 8,000% increase in death threats. Would Rosie O'Donnell want these thugs for neighbors?” The statement also highlighted the surge in violence and harassment directed at ICE personnel in recent months.

O'Donnell’s latest outburst follows her recent stint as guest host on Jimmy Kimmel’s late‑night show. In that appearance, she described Trump as “orange Voldemort” and criticized the president’s policies. The decision to bring O'Donnell on was explained by Kimmel’s team as a move to “stick it to Trump,” according to Fox News contributor Joe Concha. Concha further described O'Donnell’s rhetoric as evidence of “severe Trump Derangement Syndrome,” suggesting that her “audience for this stuff is a deranged audience that revolves around hating the president.”

O'Donnell’s history of anti‑Trump commentary extends beyond the TikTok videos. In 2023 she hosted a show with Kimmel where she repeatedly slammed the former president, and in 2024 she was featured in a segment that highlighted her outspoken opposition to Trump’s policies.

The ICE policies that have drawn criticism from O'Donnell and other advocates have included the continued detention of asylum seekers, the separation of families at the U.S. border, and the use of “detention centers” that some civil‑rights groups say resemble “concentration camps.” The Biden administration has defended the agency’s actions as necessary for national security and immigration enforcement. However, the agency’s critics argue that many of its practices violate U.S. and international human‑rights standards.

The controversy over O'Donnell’s latest video underscores the sharp divisions in American politics over immigration enforcement and the legacy of former President Trump. While her supporters praise her “bold” condemnation of ICE, critics argue that the language is hyperbolic and potentially misleading. The White House’s swift rebuttal and the public debate it has sparked indicate that the conversation over U.S. immigration policy—and the rhetoric that surrounds it—remains highly charged.