The Colombian-born social media personality - who holds no elected office - was banned by Britain's Home Secretary after a string of inflammatory anti-Muslim statements. Undeterred, she has announced a maritime entry on May 16.
⚠ Content warning: racist statements quoted for reporting purposes
Britain's Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood revoked the entry approval of American-based activist Valentina Gomez, citing her pattern of anti-Muslim conduct as "not conducive to the public good." Gomez had been due to speak at the Unite the Kingdom rally organised by far-right figure Tommy Robinson.
🚨🇬🇧🇨🇴Piers Morgan to Valentina Gomez:
- The Saviour (@TheSaviour) April 23, 2026
"Shabana Mahmood was born in Birmingham, in England. She's as English as I am. You, however, were born in Colombia. You weren't born in the United States. So I would argue that Shabana Mahmood has much, much more validity to be considered... pic.twitter.com/5m13WZdjuU
"Shabana Mahmood was born in Birmingham, in England. She's as English as I am. You, however, were born in Colombia. You weren't born in the United States. So I would argue that Shabana Mahmood has much, much more validity to be considered English than you do to be American."
- Piers Morgan, challenging Gomez during a televised interview
The ban was triggered in part by a now-viral video in which Gomez burned a Quran, and by statements in which she warned against what she called "rapist Muslims." Critics and commentators across the political spectrum have described her rhetoric as racist and Islamophobic, designed to inflame rather than debate.
Adding to the controversy, Gomez posted on X (formerly Twitter) asking the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) to "hit her" - widely interpreted as a request for political or financial backing, and mocked online as a sign of craving institutional validation she does not currently command.
Gomez was born in Colombia and holds no elected or appointed political office in the United States or anywhere else. She rose to prominence solely through social media, without any democratic mandate. Home Secretary Mahmood, by contrast, is a British-born MP and the first Muslim woman to serve as Lord Chancellor.
In a video posted after the ban, Gomez announced she plans to circumvent the government's decision by arriving via boat on May 16 - a move that drew cheers from her online followers who frame the stunt around migration and free speech, and ridicule from critics who note the irony of an immigration hardliner attempting an unauthorised sea entry.
During a heated exchange on Piers Morgan's programme, Gomez referred to Pakistan as a "dirty shithole" and targeted Mahmood personally. Morgan rebuked her directly, pointing out that Mahmood has a far stronger claim to British identity than Gomez has to American identity, given that Gomez was not born in the United States and has never held public office.
Reactions online were sharply divided. Supporters praised her willingness to "say what others won't" on migration and free speech. Critics - including politicians, commentators, and ordinary users - labelled her statements racist and said her platform rests on provocation rather than policy.
Authorities have not yet indicated how they intend to respond if Gomez attempts an unauthorised boat entry on the announced date.
