Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr learned an old lesson the hard way this week, stick to basketball unless you are prepared to own the facts. Kerr issued an apology after comments he made about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during a recent team trip to Minneapolis spiraled into yet another example of an athlete wading into politics with half baked talking points.
The backdrop was genuine unrest. Minneapolis has been dealing with sustained chaos since January 7, following the death of Renee Good, who was shot while attempting to run over an ICE agent. Things escalated further on January 24 when Alex Pretti was shot while attacking federal agents and attempting to draw a handgun. That second incident forced the postponement of a scheduled game between the Warriors and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
When the game was finally made up on January 26, the Timberwolves honored Pretti with a moment of silence. Kerr addressed the situation afterward and decided to broaden the conversation well beyond basketball. In a post game press conference, he claimed ICE was not “rooting out violent criminals” and instead was “taking 5 year old kindergartners and U.S. citizens and detaining people.” He also described the situation as shameful and strongly implied federal agents had intentionally killed Pretti.
“It’s not like [ICE] is rooting out violent criminals. They’re taking 5-year old kindergartners.”
– Golden State Warriors HC Steve KerrSteve Kerr is pushing a nefarious lie*, and being extremely hypocritical because he has also said “We're being divided by media for profit, by… pic.twitter.com/ZOX8EVh7G0
— Jon Root (@JonnyRoot_) January 28, 2026
Those comments traveled fast, because they fit neatly into a popular activist narrative. The problem was they were not accurate. ICE has conducted enforcement operations that include individuals with serious criminal records, not cartoon villains kidnapping random children off playgrounds. According to data from the Deportation Data Project, at least a third of individuals currently in ICE custody have criminal records beyond illegal entry alone. That reality never made it into Kerr’s initial remarks.
Ahead of a home game Friday night, Kerr was asked to revisit what he said. To his credit, he did something rare in public life. He admitted he was wrong. “You’re right, I definitely misspoke,” Kerr said, acknowledging that he knew ICE arrests criminals and that he regretted how he framed the issue. He apologized for spreading misinformation and said the emotional intensity of being in Minneapolis during that period clouded his judgment.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr apologizes for saying ICE didn’t arrest criminals, says he spread misinformation when questioned by @Outkick’s @AlejandroAveela about his Minnesota comments. Good for him, good for Outkick for asking this question. pic.twitter.com/uzYNqN9RgF
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) January 31, 2026
Kerr tried to salvage his broader point by arguing that some people are being detained who should not be, and that the manner of enforcement has inflamed tensions nationwide. Whether one agrees or not, that is at least a debatable policy discussion. What was not debatable was the sweeping claim that ICE is not targeting criminals at all. Kerr admitted as much.
The real takeaway here is not about Steve Kerr personally. It is about the reflexive urge among sports figures to opine loudly on issues they have not fully examined. Emotions are not evidence. Personal discomfort is not proof. When public figures repeat false claims, they fuel misinformation that only makes volatile situations worse.
Kerr ended his apology with a plea for others to do the same and then added, “All right, let’s talk about basketball.” That might be the wisest sentence he uttered all week. Coaching the Warriors is his job. Running immigration policy is not. And after this episode, even Kerr seems to understand that some lanes are better left unoccupied.
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