Prankster claims he was deported after Billie Eilish's ICE rant

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‘She said no human being is illegal on stolen land and I think that’s a beautiful vision’

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Published Feb 16, 2026 • Last updated 4 hours ago • 4 minute read

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Billie Eilish arrives at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Feb. 1, 2026. Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT /AFP via Getty ImagesArticle content

An Australian prankster is claiming that he has been denied entry into the U.S. after he promoted a stunt in which he pledged to move into Billie Eilish’s multimillion-dollar Los Angeles mansion.

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Drew Pavlou, who describes himself on Instagram as a “Western civilization enjoyer” and a “patriot,” said he was not allowed into the U.S. after he tried to crowdfund a trip to California.

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“Billie Eilish got me deported from the U.S. — I think her legal team contacted DHS,” Pavlou posted on X and Instagram. “I spent 30 hours at LAX immigration trying to explain that my s*** posts were just a joke and that I didn’t actually plan to personally move into her mansion.”

Pavlou joked that he was booking a flight to America after Eilish’s polarizing Grammys speech earlier this month in which she defended illegal immigrants.

“No one is illegal on stolen land,” Eilish, 24, said after winning Song of the Year for Wildflower. “I feel like we just need to keep fighting and speaking up and protesting, and our voices really do matter, and the people matter.”

Eilish also took aim at Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers for rounding up illegals in American cities by saying: “F*** ICE.”

‘I’m just going to ring the bell and ask to move in’

The day after the broadcast, Pavlou said he was flying to the U.S. to attempt to move into Eilish’s “beachside Malibu mansion.”

“I’m just going to ring the bell and ask to move in … She said no human being is illegal on stolen land and I think that’s a beautiful vision and I would like to help bring about that world in reality,” he quipped.

As he recounted his experience being held for 30 hours by Department of Homeland Security agents, Pavlou said border guards “were nice and laughed at the idea.”

“But there was nothing I could do, maybe evil leftists are still in charge of sections of the bureaucracy,” he continued. “I guess some people are in fact actually illegal on stolen land. And I guess I am just a BAD GUY.”

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DREW PERFORMANCE ART UPDATE

Billie Eilish got me deported from the US – I think her legal team contacted DHS

I spent 30 hours at LAX immigration trying to explain that my shit posts were just a joke and that I didn’t actually plan to personally move into her mansion

Honestly… https://t.co/R4ynQEor3c pic.twitter.com/8eVCcBE5Jr

— Drew Pavlou 🇦🇺🇺🇸🇺🇦🇹🇼 (@DrewPavlou) February 15, 2026

Later on, Pavlou returned to social media to show off his alleged deportation order and tell his 65,000 followers that he “suffered for (his) art.”

“I can’t even be mad because it’s kind of funny,” he said. “It’s obviously a joke … It’s a meme I came up with on Instagram … Honestly, it’s amazing performance art. As a joke … I somehow managed to get Billie Eilish and American liberals to endorse border control and deportations.”

In the comments, Pavlou’s antics drew cheers.

“So her ‘f*** ICE’ speech is now ‘Thank you ICE’?” one person wrote, with another adding, “This is honestly hilarious.”

The Toronto Sun has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security via email for comment on Pavlou’s claims but has yet to hear back.

‘Let’s go see if she practices what she preaches’

Pavlou’s allegations come after GB News reporter Ben Leo tried to visit Eilish’s home to see if she “practices what she preaches.”

“Billie reckons there’s no such thing as an illegal human because we’re all on stolen land,” Leo said in his broadcast for the British news channel. “So, we’re here in Billie’s quite posh neighbourhood in Los Angeles. Let’s go see if she practices what she preaches … Hopefully, if she sticks by her merits, she’ll have no problem with me waltzing in, maybe making a cup of coffee or a tea.”

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As calls at the gate outside Eilish’s home went unanswered, Leo said: “Let us in, please Billie. We are here because this is stolen land, Billie, and we think we should be given access to your quite lovely $3 million mansion.”

The singer, who Forbes estimated had a net worth of $53 million in 2020, also came under fire from the Tongva tribe, the Indigenous group that says Eilish’s home sits on their “ancestral land.”

“Eilish has not contacted our tribe directly regarding her property. We do value the instance when public figures provide visibility to the true history of this country,” a Tongva spokesperson told the Daily Mail.

Eilish comments draw criticism

Her comments drew immediate ire online with influencer Emily Austin going viral after she shared her response to Eilish’s “painful” comments in a video posted to X.

Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary told Eilish to “shut your mouth and just entertain.”

Meanwhile, Real Time host Bill Maher said to Eilish, who was homeschooled by her parents, “you don’t know facts.”

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“What’s the practical next step if you say there is no such thing as illegal people on stolen land?” Maher asked. “Do we just go back to living in teepees?”

Along with Eilish, Olivia Dean and Bad Bunny all criticized President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration at the Grammys. Several other stars, including Canadian singers Joni Mitchell and Justin Bieber, wore pins emblazoned with “ICE OUT.”

Firing back at critics of his sister’s speech, Finneas Eilish took to Meta’s Threads to address the haters.

“Seeing a lot of very powerful old white men outraged about what my 24-year-old sister said during her acceptance speech,” he wrote. “We can literally see your names in the Epstein files.”

mdaniell@postmedia.com