Rep. Lauren Boebert is under fire after photos surfaced of her wearing a Mexican-themed Halloween costume that many have called offensive and racist.
The Colorado congresswoman appeared in a sombrero and colorful dress while holding a sign that read: “Mexican Word of the Day: JUICY. TELL ME IF JUICY ICE COMING,” according to reports from ABC News and The Denver Post.
Boebert, a Republican, was also seen alongside a man wearing an outfit resembling an Immigration and Customs Enforcement uniform, complete with camouflage gear. ABC News identified him as her boyfriend, Kyle Pearcy, and noted that photos of the two were taken at separate events the same evening. Critics argued that their costumes mocked immigrants and trivialized harsh immigration policies from the Trump era.
Images of the pair quickly spread across social media, where many users denounced the display as “tacky, tasteless, and racist.” One attendee told ABC News that the costumes were “the most disgusting thing I have ever seen” and claimed that others at the party avoided them.
Trisha Calvarese, a Democratic candidate running in Colorado’s 4th District, wrote 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 response to the controversy, Boebert’s spokesperson dismissed the backlash, saying, “It’s a Halloween costume.” The spokesperson went on to criticize Democrats for opposing a continuing resolution that would reopen the federal government, which has been in a prolonged shutdown. “Tell our Senators to vote for the CR and open the government,” the statement read. “They are choosing to let millions of American families suffer.”
This isn’t the first time Boebert has faced public outrage over her behavior or comments. In November 2021, she apologized after comparing Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Muslim Democrat from Minnesota, to a bomb-carrying terrorist. “I apologize to anyone in the Muslim community I offended with my comment about Rep. Omar,” Boebert said then. “There are plenty of policy differences to focus on without this unnecessary distraction.”
