A significant new investigation has exposed a concerted effort by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to use social media platforms to promote videos of immigration arrests, a strategy that former officials have condemned as crossing the line into "propaganda".
White House Directive to 'Flood the Airwaves'
According to a report by The Washington Post published on Wednesday 24 December 2025, the White House directed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in June to begin "flooding the airwaves" with imagery of arrests. The instruction, revealed through internal messages, called for a push on both social and traditional media to highlight ICE activities nationwide.
The DHS, led by Secretary Kristi Noem, and its ICE public affairs team have worked closely with the Trump administration to produce and disseminate these videos. The Post based its findings on a review of thousands of internal communications between agency officials.
From 'Professional' Facts to 'Meme-ification'
David Lapan, a retired Marine Corps colonel and former DHS press secretary under the first Trump term, provided stark criticism. He contrasted the current approach with the more "professional and buttoned-up" strategies of past administrations.
"We were supposed to present the facts, not hype things up. But this veers into propaganda, into creating fear," Lapan told the newspaper. "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."
The internal messages show officials discussing how to frame the content. In one exchange, an ICE video producer noted making dozens of arrests quickly, unsure if all subjects had criminal histories beyond immigration violations. An ICE official responded, "I'd like to try to put this out without focusing on the aliens or their crimes, but to demonstrate that we're out working hard."
Music, Memes and Backlash
The report details how the agency has employed memes and popular social media trends over the past year to advance President Donald Trump's immigration agenda. This has included setting videos to trending songs, sparking fierce backlash from the artists involved.
Videos using tracks by Sabrina Carpenter and SZA prompted the musicians to publicly condemn the agency. Carpenter labelled the use of her song "Juno" as "evil and disgusting," while SZA accused the White House of "rage-baiting artists for free promo." DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stated that posts using copyrighted material were pre-approved by the administration's lawyers.
Further messages reveal discussions on crafting the right tone, with one producer suggesting "country songs" for a Houston-based video, and an assistant public affairs director requesting something "a little more hard-core."
Shaping the 'Worst of the Worst' Narrative
The investigation also found that ICE officials have actively worked to align public messaging with the administration's claim that officers are targeting the "worst of the worst." ICE public affairs officers have been instructed to rewrite news releases and posts to include more aggressive language.
An unnamed ICE official told The Post, "If the truth of the operation does not match the narrative of the 'worst of the worst,' it's going to be killed."
In response to the report, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson defended the administration's actions to The Independent, stating President Trump's policies "are saving lives, and we're proud of it." She blamed "career DHS bureaucrats" for complaining about finally having to do their jobs after the Biden administration. DHS spokesperson McLaughlin added that the White House had granted the agency "autonomy to create content that is effectively reaching the American public."
