Rep. Lauren Boebert Criticized for ‘Hateful’ Halloween Costume Featuring ICE and Mexican Attire
Lauren Boebert – Boebert Halloween costume – Rep. Lauren Boebert has drawn criticism and allegations of racism over her Mexican-themed Halloween costume, which included a sombrero, a dress and a sign.
The Colorado congresswoman was photographed on Halloween wearing a sombrero and holding a sign with the text, “Mexican Word of the Day: JUICY. TELL ME IF JUICY ICE COMING,” according to ABC News and The Denver Post.
Boebert, a Republican, was also photographed alongside a man wearing a hat and vest with the abbreviation for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and camouflage clothing.
ABC News identified the man as her boyfriend, Kyle Pearcy, and obtained photos of the pair that were taken at separate events Friday night. Critics have said the two were making light of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
The photos were posted to social media, where they drew condemnation. Some criticized Boebert, saying her costume was “tacky, tasteless and racist.”
ABC News quoted an unnamed person who attended the same party as the pair as saying, “It is the most disgusting thing I have ever seen.”
The person told the outlet that people avoided the pair.
Trisha Calvarese, a Democratic candidate for Colorado’s 4th District, posted on X: “Lauren Boebert put more effort into a hateful Halloween party costume than she ever has into serving the people of Colorado’s 4th Congressional District.”
In a statement to PEOPLE, a spokesperson for Boebert says, “It’s a Halloween costume.” The statement also criticized Democrats, who voted against a short-term spending bill, known as a continuing resolution, that would end the federal government shutdown, which is approaching its sixth week and appears likely to become the longest in U.S. history. Democrats are demanding negotiations to extend the expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies so that premiums won’t rise for millions of people on Jan. 1.
“Tell our Senators to vote for the CR and open the government,” says Boebert’s spokesperson. “They are choosing to let millions of American families suffer.”
Boebert has previously faced sharp criticism over her remarks. In November 2021, she apologized after she likened Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat and a Muslim, to a bomb-carrying terrorist.
“I apologize to anyone in the Muslim community I offended with my comment about Rep. Omar,” Boebert said at the time. “I have reached out to her office to speak with her directly. There are plenty of policy differences to focus on without this unnecessary distraction.”
