White House Defends Controversial DHS Social Media Posts, Calling Them “Effective Memes”

Homeland Security Under Fire for Misleading Videos Promoting Immigration Agenda

The Department of Homeland Security has been systematically using misleading and manipulated footage to advance President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, according to an extensive investigation by The Washington Post published this week.

The probe uncovered at least six DHS-produced videos over a three-month period that misrepresented when and where scenes were filmed. When confronted with the evidence, the administration refused to issue corrections. Instead, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson defended the practice, stating the administration would continue highlighting its successes through “engaging content and banger memes.”

Perhaps the most egregious example came from an August video purportedly showcasing DHS’s success in securing Washington, D.C. The dramatic montage featured federal agents in what one official described as a “battle for the soul of our nation.” However, The Post’s investigation revealed the footage was neither recent nor from the nation’s capital. Significant portions were actually filmed months earlier in Los Angeles, West Palm Beach, and near Nantucket—approximately 400 miles from Washington.

In another misleading case, DHS promoted footage allegedly showing “Antifa terrorists” attacking federal facilities in Portland, Oregon. The investigation determined the scenes were actually captured outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building in Broadview, Illinois—1,700 miles from Portland. Adding to the deception, DHS removed the watermark of the journalist who recorded the original footage.

Geographic misrepresentation appears to be a pattern. A separate DHS clip celebrating a federal law enforcement surge into Memphis, Tennessee, used images from the same Illinois ICE facility with no indication that the visuals were recorded in a completely different state.

Temporal misrepresentations were also common. A video promoting Trump’s border policies showed nighttime crossings in Arizona and a smuggling boat at sea, which DHS claimed highlighted the failures of previous administrations. The Post determined both events actually occurred in 2019—during Trump’s first term.

Even when authentic footage was used, DHS sometimes digitally altered the content. In one instance, ICE shared an image of a woman holding a pro-ICE sign outside its Portland office. While critics suspected the image might be AI-generated, DHS provided surveillance video confirming the woman’s presence. However, analysts discovered the image had been digitally manipulated to remove most of a Spanish-language curse—”Chinga la migra”—written on the pavement beneath her feet.

Secretary Kristi Noem, who heads DHS, has faced mounting criticism for prioritizing media optics over policy substance. Her public appearances—often featuring full makeup, law enforcement gear, and strategic camera positioning—have been characterized as photo opportunities designed for social media impact rather than substantive reporting of agency results. Critics have questioned her allocation of agency resources toward expanding DHS’s video production capabilities and social media reach.

National security experts warn that these misleading practices could erode public trust during genuine emergencies when government credibility is crucial. John Cohen, a former DHS official, cautioned that such deceptive content could cause the public to “start tuning them out” when factual information becomes necessary during crisis situations.

Eddie Perez, who previously led Twitter’s civic integrity team, likened the administration’s approach to that of “filmmakers” focused more on emotional manipulation than truth. He described the trend as “the collapse of government accountability through communication based on facts.”

Despite growing scrutiny, DHS continues expanding its in-house media operation by hiring videographers, deploying drones for footage collection, and producing news-style segments that dismiss critical reporting as “fake news hoaxes” while directing viewers to government channels for what they claim are “FACTS.”

The Washington Post’s detailed report, co-authored by Drew Harwell and Joyce Soyhun Lee, includes numerous examples of original source materials alongside the edited final products distributed by DHS through official social media channels.