At Brooklyn's Pioneer Works, a drag queen professional wrestling event called Choke Hole, part of artist Raúl de Nieves's exhibition, was disrupted when audience member and performer Chiquitita stormed the stage. She objected to a skit that made light of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportations, shouting that 'ICE is not entertainment!' and hurling the microphone into a video screen. The performance, titled ARMAGEDDON, featured an alien queen plot involving nuclear codes and ICE, and Choke Hole later apologized, removing the segment from subsequent shows.
This incident highlights the tension between artistic parody and real-world political trauma, especially as ICE enforcement has intensified under the Trump administration. It underscores the challenges artists and institutions face when addressing sensitive issues like immigration and deportation in performance, and the power of audience members to hold creators accountable for perceived insensitivity. The event also reflects the broader role of drag and queer performance as a platform for political commentary and community dialogue.