Wunmi Mosaku, star of the hit vampire film Sinners, reveals she has been unable to celebrate her Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination amid America’s tense political atmosphere.

Oscar Recognition Amid Turmoil

The 39-year-old British actress, currently based in Los Angeles and pregnant with her second child, earned the nod for her role as Annie, the estranged wife of one of Michael B. Jordan’s twin characters. Born in Nigeria and raised in Manchester, Mosaku has thrived in Hollywood but now grapples with the nation’s immigration enforcement.

Mosaku highlighted recent ICE operations, stating: “I’ve not been able to celebrate because of what’s going on right now, with the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minnesota and the kidnapping of a five-year-old boy. It’s difficult to hold both the nomination and the news because one feels beautiful and one is so dark and heavy; truly dystopian—how can I possibly go out and buy some drinks and enjoy the moment?”

Renee Good and Alex Pretti died in January from fatal shootings by ICE agents during a deportation effort, while five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos was detained on his way home from school.

Family Plans and Immigration Shifts

Mosaku, married to an American, shared in an interview: “[It was] never part of my plan [to raise my children in the US]. I anticipate moving but I’m not sure where. I’d love to live closer to nature, I don’t know… In Tanzania?… I’m not going to lie, it’s hard to envision coming back [to Manchester] when you’ve been spoilt by the weather in LA. You get soft very quickly there.”

President Trump recently halted the intensified immigration crackdown in Minnesota, dubbed ‘Operation Metro Surge,’ following public backlash over the shootings. White House border czar Tom Homan announced the pullback at a Minneapolis press conference, three weeks after his deployment displaced Border Patrol leader Greg Bovino.

“We’ve seen a big change here in the last couple of weeks,” Homan said. “I have proposed, and President Trump has concurred, that this surge operation conclude. Twin Cities and Minnesota in general are and will continue to be much safer for the communities here because of what we have accomplished under President Trump’s leadership.”

Local agreements now allow ICE arrests in jails, amid polls showing voter disapproval of the incidents as midterms approach.

Sinners Shatters Oscar Records

Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler, secured a record-breaking 16 Academy Award nominations, surpassing the previous high of 14 held by Titanic, All About Eve, and La La Land. The film depicts twin brothers with criminal histories confronting vampires in the Jim Crow-era South.

Key nominations include:

• Best Picture (competing against Bugonia, F1, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, and Train Dreams)
• Best Director: Ryan Coogler
• Best Actor: Michael B. Jordan
• Best Supporting Actor: Delroy Lindo
• Best Supporting Actress: Wunmi Mosaku
• Best Original Screenplay: Ryan Coogler
• Cinematography, Production Design, Editing, Score, Sound, Visual Effects, Costume Design, Makeup and Hairstyling, Casting
• Best Original Song: “I Lied to You” (Ludwig Göransson, Raphael Saadiq; performed by Miles Caton)

The film continues Coogler’s streak of box office and critical successes.