The White House found itself at the center of a heated debate on Tuesday following the release of a controversial video depicting shackled immigrants preparing to board a deportation flight from Seattle. The video, originally shared by the Seattle office of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE), was retweeted by the White House without commentary at 12:19 p.m. ET. However, the White House later edited and reposted the video, titling it “ASMR: Illegal Alien Deportation Flight,” sparking widespread attention and criticism.
The edited version begins with a clip of an officer standing behind a shackled migrant, appearing to adjust the collar of the individual's jacket or hooded sweatshirt, before showcasing scenes of immigrants in shackles. This reposting drew more than 6.4 million interactions and nearly 6,000 retweets by 4 p.m. ET the same day. Among those who reacted was Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who reposted the video with the comment, "Haha Wow."
The video includes footage of handcuffs and chains being removed from a basket filled with other restraints, with jingling sounds adding to its audio content. A particular scene shows a migrant walking past an officer with his hands cuffed and ankles bound by a chain. The White House edited the video to place the final clip from the ICE Seattle video at the forefront of its own version.
Despite the video's rapid spread and notable interactions, it was met with significant backlash from various quarters. Social media users expressed their disapproval, with one individual labeling it "disgusting." The video was part of a broader process aimed at completing the return of undocumented aliens to their countries of origin.
The term "ASMR," used in the video's title, is typically associated with videos that induce a pleasant, tingling sensation through unique sounds, raising questions about its use in this context. The intent behind using the term remains unclear as the White House spokesperson did not provide immediate comments regarding the post.
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