The White House ignited a social media storm after tweeting an edited video under the title “ASMR: Illegal Alien Deportation Flight.” The video, which depicts immigrants in shackles preparing to board a deportation flight from Seattle, amassed over 6.4 million interactions and nearly 6,000 retweets by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Originally shared by the Seattle office of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, the footage was retweeted by the White House at 12:19 p.m. ET without commentary and later posted with the “ASMR” label about 90 minutes thereafter.
The edited video begins with a clip of an officer standing behind a shackled migrant, adjusting the collar of the individual's jacket or hooded sweatshirt. This clip, originally the closing scene in the ICE video, was repositioned to the start in the White House's version. The controversial tweet drew mixed reactions from the public, with one individual branding it as "disgusting," while others expressed approval, encouraging the administration to "keep it up."
Prominent figures also weighed in, with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who owns the social media platform X, reposting the video with the comment, "Haha Wow." The sequence also features footage of handcuffs and chains jingling as they were extracted from a basket and laid on the airport tarmac beside four other sets of restraints.
Questions arose regarding the intent behind the editing and the choice of title, however, a spokesperson for the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment on these matters. The absence of an official explanation has left many speculating about the administration's motives behind the post.
The video, shared during a period of heightened immigration debate in the United States, underscores the complex and often polarizing nature of immigration policy discussions. While some view such content as necessary for transparency and enforcement of immigration laws, others criticize it as dehumanizing and insensitive.
The choice to label the video as "ASMR," a term typically associated with relaxing or soothing content, adds another layer of controversy. This juxtaposition has been interpreted by some as trivializing a serious and contentious issue. The lack of context or commentary provided by the White House only fueled further debate and speculation.