Martha Stewart Compares ICE Enforcing Law to Living in George Orwell’s Dystopian ‘1984’ Novel
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Martha Stewart expressed concern over U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) carrying out routine operations in her town, likening the experience to living in a dystopian society straight out of a George Orwell novel.
“I have been an extremely optimistic person my entire life, and I’m feeling a little bit down. I’m not happy with what’s going on with immigration,” Stewart told USA Today during a pre-Super Bowl interview on Saturday.
She said that her hometown of Bedford, New York, had received notice that ICE had been present in local schools, calling the situation “extremely depressing.”
“This is a beautiful suburban town, an hour from New York City, and it’s crazy,” Stewart added, referencing the concept of “Big Brother” from Orwell’s 1984.
“Big Brother watching is not an easy way to live,” she said, alluding to the term’s association with extreme government surveillance, authoritarian overreach, and loss of privacy. Orwell’s novel depicts a future where the government maintains total control over citizens’ lives.
When asked whether she felt comfortable speaking out, Stewart said, “I’m not going to get terribly political and criticize anybody individually, but America’s a beautiful place. We have had such a beautiful life here, and we have to continue to have that.”
Stewart has previously voiced concerns about federal law enforcement actions. Late last month, she posted on Instagram about what she described as the suppression of peaceful demonstrations, saying she was “disheartened and sad each and every day that we cannot demonstrate our sympathy for the beleaguered,” adding that immigrants are often made to feel unwelcome.
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