Jamie Han, the 2025 valedictorian at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), has sparked nationwide debate after a viral video captured her using her commencement speech to openly lambast U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and President Donald Trump’s administration.

Some individuals appearing to be her faculty members were also seen nodding in apparent approval to her criticism against Trump’s administration. The speech, delivered between June 13–15, 2025, at the College of Letters and Science graduation ceremony, has sparked heated debate online, with supporters praising Han’s boldness and critics accusing the institution of endorsing profanity and political bias on stage.

Han, a first-generation immigrant and communications graduate, used the platform to denounce America’s immigration policies and the treatment of immigrants under the Trump administration.

She said: “Education, free speech, and democracy itself is being threatened by the very institutions that claim to value it, and in a country that not only refuses to protect, but actively persecutes, scapegoats, and villainizes the indisputable backbone of immigrants who make America what it is.”

“Which as a first-generation immigrant myself, and as a now citizen who has the privilege of not having to fear for my life every second of the day, and as a communication major of all things, preaching up here about the importance of using your education and using your voice,” she added.

“Excuse my language, but to that I say, fu** ICE and fu** the Trump administration,” Han concluded, as people beside her nodded in agreement and the crowd erupted with cheers and applause. 

This development generated mixed reactions from netizens. A user, Raymond said:” Valedictorian and that's the best she could come up with? UCLA is obviously not much of a university!” 

Another user, MJ Alton wrote: “Stop any visas for foreign students in our universities. They're taking spots meant for American students. 

“Far too many are sending information back home to their governments.” 

Meanwhile, in March, the United States government, under President Donald Trump announced to terminate the temporary legal status of over 500,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela, giving them weeks to leave the country. 

According to a notice posted by the US federal government, the migrants from the countries have been warned to leave the country before their permits and deportation shield are cancelled on April 24, BBC reports. 

The 530,000 migrants were brought into the US under a Biden-era sponsorship process known as CHNV that was designed to open legal migration pathways. 

Trump suspended the programme once he took office.

It is unclear how many of these migrants have been able to secure another status in the interim that would allow them to stay in the US legally.

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