Story highlights
The concert will raise funds for the ACLU
The event is meant to send a welcoming message to immigrants
Grammy-winning DJ Zedd says he does not consider himself “a political person,” but when President Donald Trump signed an immigration executive order that includes a travel ban, he could no longer stay silent.
“I try to be somewhat quiet about political issues unless I think it gets out of hand,” Zedd told CNN. “I feel like if there’s a change I can make – there’s something I can do to help – that is when I decide to speak up.”
Zedd joined forces with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to organize a concert in opposition to the ban. The April 3 concert in Los Angeles, titled “Welcome,” will raise funds for the ACLU and seeks to send a message of acceptance and unity to immigrants.
It’s a star-heavy show that is also set to include performances from Macklemore, Daya, Halsey, Imagine Dragons, Incubus, Miguel, Machine Gun Kelly, Skrillex, Tinashe, Mija, Camila Cabello and Bebe Rexha.
Trump’s initial executive action on immigration included a temporary ban on refugees and people from seven Muslim-majority nations from entering the United States. A federal court halted the ban’s implementation, a decision later upheld by a federal appeals court.
Last week, the Trump administration rolled out a new executive order exempting Iraq and reinstating a temporary blanket ban on all refugees.
“I don’t want this concert that I’m organizing to be seen as a anti-Trump concert because really, it’s not,” Zedd said, adding that all proceeds will go to the ACLU because “they fight for many things that are important for Americans, whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat.”