Lorde Donates $204,000 From Minneapolis Merch Sales to Immigrant Rights Groups

URL copied to clipboard.
Lorde with slicked-back hair and strapless black dress at a formal event with photographers in the background
Bre Johnson/BFA.com / Shutterstock

Summary:

  • Singer Lorde donates $204,000 from merchandise sales at Minneapolis concerts to immigrant rights organizations. Funds benefit MIRAC and Immigrant Defense Network.

  • Lorde’s contribution reflects growing artist support for immigrant communities in Minnesota. Donation aligns with broader cultural discussions on immigration.

  • Merchandise sales from Lorde’s world tour support grassroots legal and advocacy groups. Public figures increasingly use platforms to address immigration issues.

Singer and songwriter Lorde on Tuesday announced that she is donating $204,000 from merchandise sales during her Minneapolis concerts to two immigrant rights organizations, part of a broader surge of artist support for immigration advocacy.

The New Zealand artist revealed the contribution on her Instagram story with an image of her hand holding up the words “ICE Out,” a phrase that has been featured in recent cultural and political discussions about immigration enforcement and protests.

Lorde wearing a white shirt and silver top with "ICE OUT" written on her hand, announcing a $204k merch donation to immigration rights groups.
Screenshot of Lorde’s Instagram Story

The funds will be split between the Minnesota Immigration Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) and the Immigrant Defense Network, both of which work on behalf of immigrant communities in Minnesota. MIRAC is a grassroots organization focused on legal support, advocacy, and community organizing to protect immigrant rights. The Immigrant Defense Network is a coalition of more than 90 labor, legal, faith and community groups advocating for constitutional rights and collective action against immigration enforcement.

Lorde’s donation stems from merchandise sales during her Minneapolis shows last October as part of her world tour. The announcement aligns with a wave of public attention on immigration issues, including protests and creative expressions of solidarity by artists. These discussions have recently featured at high-profile events such as the Grammy Awards, where performers and attendees displayed or referenced “ICE Out” messaging.

In sharing the news, Lorde joins a growing list of musicians and public figures using their platforms to support communities impacted by immigration enforcement and related policy debates.

More headlines

Latest

Frankie LaPenna Takes on a ‘Terminator’ Robot in The First Human vs. Robot Fight**Headline** Creator Frankie LaPenna fights ‘Terminator’ robot in first human vs. robot bout **Alt** First human vs. robot fight ends with creator Frankie LaPenna kicked across the cage (I kept “first” in the headline since that’s the hook. The article attributes it to the organizers, which covers you.) — **Creator Frankie LaPenna fights ‘Terminator’ robot in first human vs. robot bout** SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — A man stepped into a fighting cage with a 6-foot humanoid robot, and the robot came out on top. Robotics startup REK staged the human-versus-humanoid kickboxing demonstration in San Francisco on Friday, Sept. 18, putting creator Frankie LaPenna inside a cage with the machine. The opponent was the 80-kilogram (176-pound) EngineAI T800, a humanoid built to look like the Terminator. LaPenna, wearing a helmet and chest protector, landed a few punches before the robot kicked him in the head, according to the official video description. Footage shows the robot kicking him across the cage as spectators outside the ring looked on. “We just made history with the first Human VS Terminator robot fight,” REK posted on X on Sept. 20, adding that more fight footage is coming. The “first” label comes from REK and LaPenna and has not been independently verified. The robot was not fighting on its own. REK’s robots are not autonomous fighters, and the event showcased remote control and mechanical stability rather than independent combat strategy. The bout was part of REK’s work on a virtual reality combat game in which people remotely control humanoid robots to compete against each other. REK founder Cix Liv came to robotics from virtual reality and is building a sport that links virtual competition to physical machines. The LaPenna match pushed his format beyond the company’s usual robot-versus-robot fights. Online, viewers debated whether a trained fighter would fare better, with some predicting human-versus-robot bouts could reach the UFC within five years. — Note: AP datelines use a dash after the city. I kept it since it’s standard AP, but swap to a comma if you want zero dashes.