Danny Trejo’s Son Says Actor Was Misled Into Daily Wire Film Project

Actor Danny Trejo is facing intense backlash for starring in Pawn Shop, a pro-ICE thriller produced by Ben Shapiro’s Daily Wire. Trejo’s son, Gilbert Trejo, alleges the 82-year-old actor was misled about the film’s politics and is now contractually barred from leaving the project.

Danny Trejo is now contractually tied to a Daily Wire production that champions immigration enforcement officers and dramatizes the death of a real-world victim. The actor is widely viewed as a Chicano icon and a voice for those struggling with addiction, known in Southern California for operating a coffee shop and a small restaurant chain. He is also recognized for his role as Machete, a character who serves as a savior for newcomers pursued by the U.S. government.

Gilbert Trejo Says Father Is ‘Handcuffed’ to ‘Stupid’ Project

Gilbert Trejo defended his father on Instagram, alleging that Danny Trejo was hoodwinked into the role. Gilbert claims his father had never heard of conservative commentator Ben Shapiro before signing on and only discovered Shapiro’s involvement two weeks into filming.

My dad contractually can’t bad mouth him, the film, or walk away without being sued for breach of contract. He couldn’t even release the statement he wanted to.

Gilbert Trejo, actor and son of Danny Trejo

An agent pitched the movie to Trejo as a complicated story about a complicated time where the only character who looks good is the hardworking Mexican shop owner who just wants peace, according to Gilbert. He says his father jumped at the idea of playing a good guy without knowing the actual premise.

Gilbert described the situation as f—– up, stating that Shapiro has managed to get Mexicans to abandon one of their heroes while making the critics look like angry fools lacking any nuance. He added that Shapiro wins by getting his own name to the top of Google searches.

Plot Mirrors Death of Renée Good

The film is set in Minneapolis during a period of unrest and follows a federal agent who takes shelter inside a neighborhood pawn shop. It is co-produced by Bonfire Legend, a production company formed by producer Dallas Sonnier in 2021, and the Daily Wire—the right-wing media company Shapiro launched in 2015. Directed by Michael Polish, the plot involves a federal agent seeking shelter in a pawn shop while rioting occurs over the ICE shooting of a woman named Melanie, described in the script as a fat blue-hair, according to reporting from LGBTQ Nation.

Brooklyn Wilde and other local activists argue the scene is an ideologically slanted recreation of the death of Renée Good, a queer mother of three who was fatally shot by an ICE officer on January 7 in Minneapolis. In the movie’s version of events, the character Melanie accidentally strikes an ICE agent with her car, killing him, before she is shot.

The film reportedly depicts the media calling the shooting a murder despite the officer’s death, a narrative Wilde calls an ideologically motivated distortion. The suit regarding Good’s death describes it as a predictable and intended product of Operation Metro Surge, an invasion of metropolitan areas led by Kristi Noem.

Montana Residents Protest Production

Filming in Livingston, Montana, became a flashpoint for local resistance in late September and early October 2026. Residents reported the unannounced use of pyrotechnics, blank gunshots, and armed security guards, as well as disruptions to the Livingston Food Resource Center and local businesses. Marc Beaudin, co-owner of Elk River Books, noted that this production was dramatically different from any other movie filmed in the area.

Photo: we are mitú

• October 3: The Livingston City Commission held a special meeting and temporarily suspended the film’s permit due to safety concerns. One resident told The Bulwark, We want them to know: Don’t come do this s— in our town.
• October 6: Ben Shapiro confirmed his involvement via YouTube, calling the suspension a violation of the First Amendment and labeling critics censorious jackasses. In a press statement, he claimed the pause was politics, pure and simple and content discrimination.
• October 5-6: The commission reinstated the permit after the production agreed to limit noise, shield the public from violent scenes, and stop the harassment of locals by private security.

Internal stability also wavered. About a dozen crew members reportedly departed abruptly during filming, some of whom had to pay for their own travel home. Several quit after being told it was a fun action movie only to find the pro-ICE politics upon arrival.

Brooklyn Wilde stated that crew members were explicitly lied to about the content. One worker told IndieWire they would not have accepted the job had the political slant been disclosed, noting they only received substantive plot details well after accepting the position.

Trejo Denies Supporting ICE

Danny Trejo released a statement on October 9 via Instagram to address social media criticism. While he did not criticize the film’s specific plot, he distanced himself from the ideology of the agency at the center of the story.

Make no mistake. I am a proud Mexican who has always been and will always be a supporter of my community. I am also obviously, pro-immigrant. I am not pro-ICE. I know where I come from and I know our struggles. I am an actor. My job is to tell a story.

Danny Trejo, actor

This stance aligns with Trejo’s previous public actions. In 2020, he was involved in the #AyudaEnEspanol campaign for migrant farmworkers, and in a 2025 interview with TMZ, he urged families affected by ICE raids to keep up hope.

The film continues production with a cast that includes Harvey Keitel and Henry Thomas. A formal release date for Pawn Shop has not yet been announced.