Actor Mark Ruffalo is at the center of heated backlash after weighing in on immigration and crime in the United States. The Avengers star shared a video on X where he pushed back against anti-immigrant rhetoric, declaring, “The immigrants aren’t the criminals… most of the crimes committed in this country are by white people.” The clip quickly went viral, and so did the responses.
While Ruffalo’s statement was widely reshared, many users criticized the actor, accusing him of oversimplifying a complex issue. One person wrote, “Mark is obviously getting paid to say these things. He grew up in Kenosha, which is right by Chicago. Chicago and Illinois have spent a cumulative $2.5 billion on illegal immigrants while going into $2–3 billion of projected debt. It’s wiped out Black citizens and caused a lot of crime.”
Others took issue with Ruffalo conflating immigrants and undocumented immigrants. “No one is against immigrants. Stop conflating immigrants with illegals. Two totally different things. EVERY illegal is a criminal by default. It’s in the name: illegal immigrant,” one user commented.
Fans Blast Mark Ruffalo’s Activism
Beyond policy critiques, some followers blasted Ruffalo for speaking out politically at all. “I wish they would just focus on entertainment. He’s starting to get as annoying as Robert De Niro,” one person said, adding that political activism from Hollywood makes it harder to enjoy their films. “The list of actors I can’t watch anymore is growing. I can’t get into their characters in movies because all I see is their true character. Oh well.” Another bluntly told the actor to “stick to acting.”
Some critics also pushed back against Ruffalo’s claim that white people commit most crimes, pointing instead to incarceration rates. “Hey Mark, go look at the demographics of the prisons in this country,” one reply read.
This isn’t the first time Ruffalo has spoken out on hot-button political issues. The actor, who has been vocal on climate change, social justice, and foreign policy, often uses his social media presence to advocate for progressive causes. But as this latest backlash shows, not all of his fans are on board.
