Shakira Says Being an Immigrant in the United States Means ‘Living in Constant Fear’: ‘The Treatment of All People Must Always Be Humane’

Shakira is speaking up for immigrants living in the United States.

In a recent interview with BBC News, Shakira was asked what it’s like living in the U.S. as an immigrant. The four-time Grammy winner gave a somber but honest response.

“It means living in constant fear,” she said. “And it’s painful to see.”

She continued, “Now, more than ever, we have to remain united. Now, more than ever, we have to raise our voices and make it very clear that a country can change its immigration policies, but the treatment of all people must always be humane.”

Immigration has been top of mind for many Americans as President Donald Trump‘s aggressive deportation tactics tear through homes and communities. The backlash against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as well as the Trump administration, began last week with protests in Los Angeles. The fight went nationwide on Saturday with the “No Kings” protests, seeing thousands of Americans marching against Trump.

Earlier in the same interview, Shakira spoke about her own experience immigrating to the United States and how American musicians came to influence her upbringing and musical style.

“I was only 19 when I moved to the U.S., like many other Colombian immigrants who come to this country looking for a better future,” she explained. “I got into poetry and started reading a little bit of Leonard Cohen and Walt Whitman and Bob Dylan, trying to understand how the English language works within songwriting. I think that’s how I got good at it.”