ADVERTISEMENT Dean Cain, the actor best known for playing Superman in the 90s TV series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, has announced he’s joining US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – the controversial agency central to Donald Trump’s intensifying immigration crackdown.
Speaking to Fox News, Cain said he has spoken with agency officials and will be sworn in as an agent “ASAP.”
Pressed on why he decided to sign up, the 59-year-old actor explained: “This country was built on patriots stepping up, whether it was popular or not, and doing the right thing. I truly believe this is the right thing.”
He added: “We have a broken immigration system. Congress needs to fix it, but in the interim, President Trump ran on this. He is delivering on this. This is what people voted for. It’s what I voted for and he’s going to see it through, and I’ll do my part and help make sure it happens.”
The announcement comes after Cain, who has long been a vocal supporter of Trump’s and his MAGA movement, posted a promotional video to his social media channels, urging fans to join ICE.
“ICE is arresting the worst of the worst and removing them from America’s streets. I like that. I voted for that. They need your help, we need your help, to protect our homelands and our families,” he said.
The timing of Cain’s move comes as ICE has dramatically ramped up its operations. The agency has been granted an additional $75 billion (€64 billion) in federal funding – part of what Trump has dubbed his “big beautiful bill” – and is now reportedly targeting a minimum of 3,000 arrests per day.
These increasingly aggressive raids have swept up not only undocumented immigrants, but also individuals with legal protections and even American citizens. Critics argue that many of those detained are being forced through a deportation system that is rapidly abandoning the most basic principles of due process and care.
In response, protests have broken out in cities across the United States. However, the Trump administration has taken a hardline stance against public dissent, prosecuting not only demonstrators but also civilians who film or verbally object to ICE arrests as they happen.
Cain’s decision to align himself with ICE has not gone unnoticed, particularly given his long-standing association with the Man of Steel character – an alien from another planet who was raised as an American and became a symbol of justice and hope.
Social media users were quick to point out the irony, with one commenter writing, “Superman himself would be disappointed in you, Dean.”
Cain responded with a blunt retort: “Not a chance.”
This is not the first time Cain has waded into controversy in recent months. In July, he drew attention after publicly criticising James Gunn’s critically and commercially successful Superman reboot, accusing the film – and Hollywood more broadly – of becoming too “woke.”
Speaking to TMZ he said: “How woke is Hollywood going to make this character? How much is Disney going to change their Snow White? Why are they going to change these characters [to] exist for the times?”
In our review of Superman, we wrote: “The ‘silliness’ of Gunn’s approach feels bold in these current times – and the director knows what he’s doing. He clearly understands that superhero fatigue has settled in; his reset doubles down on the fun factor without shying away from some real-world mirroring. This may not be anything new for Superman films, but the inclusion of xenophobia laced with cancel culture (aided by social media bots / monkeys) and the contentious Middle Eastern geopolitical dispute with obvious – but not overplayed – topical parallels to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Palestine conflict is a bold touch.”
We added: “You can almost hear nose-bleedingly annoying comments about Superman going “woke” – the pithy last defence of those who never tire of shouting at clouds. But that’s what Superman has always been: an alien humanitarian who fights for justice and for whom “kindness is punk rock.””
Read our full review here.
