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Immigration and Customs Enforcement has dramatically shifted its social media strategy under President Trump’s second administration, using arrest footage and trendy content to promote the White House’s immigration agenda, according to an extensive investigation by The Washington Post.
The report, based on thousands of internal messages between ICE officials, reveals that the agency’s public affairs team has been working closely with the White House to create and distribute videos showing agents confronting and arresting immigrants across its social media platforms.
In June, according to published messages, the White House directed ICE to begin “flooding the airwaves” with imagery of arrests nationwide. “The request is to flood social and traditional media with imagery of ICE arrests,” one official reportedly wrote in an internal communication.
This approach represents a stark departure from previous administrations’ more measured public communications. David Lapan, a retired Marine Corps colonel who served as Department of Homeland Security press secretary during Trump’s first term, expressed concern about the agency’s current social media tactics.
“We were supposed to present the facts, not hype things up. But this veers into propaganda, into creating fear,” Lapan told the Post. “We didn’t have this meme-ification of various serious operations, these things that are life or death. … It’s not a joking matter. But that’s the way they’re treating it now.”
Internal messages published in the report offer a glimpse into how the content is being crafted. In one exchange, an ICE video producer acknowledged to an official that many recent arrestees might not have criminal histories “beyond being in the U.S. illegally.” The official responded by suggesting they should focus instead on demonstrating that agents are “working hard,” rather than highlighting the immigrants or their alleged crimes.
Another exchange revealed discussions about which music to use for arrest videos, with an ICE assistant director for public affairs pushing for “something a little more hard-core” than country music for Houston-based operations.
The agency’s use of popular songs in these videos has already sparked controversy. Artists Sabrina Carpenter and SZA publicly condemned ICE after their songs “Juno” and “Big Boys” were featured in immigration enforcement videos. Carpenter described the content as “evil and disgusting,” while SZA accused the White House of “rage-baiting artists for free promo.”
According to the Post’s investigation, ICE officials have been instructed to prioritize messaging that supports the Trump administration’s narrative about targeting the “worst of the worst” offenders. Public affairs officers have reportedly been asked to rewrite news releases and online posts to include more aggressive language.
“If the truth of the operation does not match the narrative of the ‘worst of the worst,’ it’s going to be killed,” one unnamed ICE official told the Post.
The Department of Homeland Security, led by Secretary Kristi Noem, oversees ICE. When asked about the agency’s social media practices, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told the Post that the White House has granted the department “autonomy to create content that is effectively reaching the American public.” She also noted that social media posts using copyrighted material were pre-approved by the administration’s lawyers.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson defended the approach in a statement to The Independent, saying: “President Trump’s immigration policies are saving lives, and we’re proud of it.” Jackson characterized criticism as coming from “career DHS bureaucrats” who are “complaining to the media about finally having to do their jobs.”
The shift in communication strategy comes as the Trump administration implements its promised crackdown on illegal immigration. Over the past year, ICE and other federal agencies have increasingly incorporated memes and social media trends into their messaging as they promote the president’s immigration agenda.
The controversy highlights the evolving role of government agencies on social platforms, where the line between informing the public and political messaging continues to blur in an increasingly polarized media landscape.
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11 Comments
This report highlights the need for federal agencies to maintain objectivity and professionalism in their public outreach, rather than becoming mouthpieces for the White House’s political agenda. Transparency and accountability should be paramount.
The aggressive immigration enforcement campaign described in this report is deeply concerning. Federal agencies must uphold principles of due process and avoid tactics that appear to target vulnerable populations for political gain.
While immigration enforcement is a legitimate government function, the tactics described in this report seem designed to inflame tensions and advance a partisan agenda rather than address the nuances of this complex issue. Transparency and accountability are critical.
Interesting report on the ICE’s aggressive social media tactics. While immigration enforcement is a complex issue, using arrest footage to promote a political agenda raises concerns about transparency and the use of public resources.
I agree, the optics of ‘flooding the airwaves’ with arrest videos seem troubling. The public deserves a balanced, fact-based approach to such a sensitive topic.
This investigation raises important questions about the appropriate role of government agencies in shaping public discourse around sensitive issues like immigration. Maintaining impartiality and public trust should be the top priorities.
Well said. Agencies like ICE must strike a careful balance between enforcing the law and respecting the rights and dignity of all individuals.
I’m curious to hear more about the specific tactics used by ICE, such as the types of ‘trendy content’ and the coordination with the White House. This level of political involvement in law enforcement communications is troubling.
Agreed. The public deserves to know the full extent of ICE’s social media strategy and how it aligns with the administration’s policy priorities.
The shift in ICE’s public communications strategy under the current administration is concerning. Using social media to sensationalize enforcement actions could undermine public trust and stoke tensions around immigration policy.
Exactly. Immigration is a nuanced issue that requires thoughtful, responsible messaging from government agencies, not partisan propaganda campaigns.