The White House faced mounting criticism on Tuesday after a TikTok video posted to its official account set footage of Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests to Sabrina Carpenter's pop hit "Juno," prompting accusations that the administration had trivialised deportation and exploited a viral track without proper authorisation. The video, featuring real ICE operations accompanied by the upbeat song, drew an immediate backlash from immigration advocates, legal analysts and music-rights experts who questioned both the ethics and legality of the production.
The clip showed ICE personnel detaining individuals in various enforcement actions while Carpenter's song played over the images. The contrast between the light, flirtatious tone of "Juno" and scenes involving handcuffs, transport vehicles and visibly distressed detainees triggered widespread outrage. The song, which Carpenter has used during concerts in a staging bit involving pink fuzzy handcuffs, took on a much different meaning in the context of federal detentions.
Critics said the White House had effectively transformed a serious law-enforcement action into entertainment targeted at younger audiences on TikTok. The post drew hundreds of thousands of views before any response from officials, and commenters argued the administration was glamorising imprisonment for online engagement. Human-rights groups asserted the clip risked normalising traumatic events related to detention and family separation.
Advocacy organisations, including the American Immigration Council, warned that communities already wary of immigration authorities may feel further alienated by the government presenting arrests through a pop-music lens. Analysts noted that the decision to pair a viral hit with enforcement footage marks an escalation in the White House's experimentation with entertainment-driven political messaging.
The controversy widened as copyright questions emerged. Neither Carpenter nor her management has commented, and the White House has not said whether it secured permission to use the track. The absence of a statement from Island Records or Universal Music Publishing Group prompted speculation that the song's licensing may not have been cleared. Music-rights attorneys told industry outlets that political entities face stricter rules than ordinary users on TikTok, and that federal communications using commercial music typically require explicit approval.
The industry has a history of objections to unauthorised political use, with artists such as Rihanna and Aerosmith previously demanding campaigns stop playing their music. Legal observers said the administration could face heightened scrutiny if Carpenter's team objects publicly.
The incident is part of a broader trend in which the administration has released multiple videos pairing pop songs with policy messaging, including clips referencing border-security efforts. Some videos have reportedly used portions of Olivia Rodrigo's "All-American Bitch." Supporters of the digital-first strategy say it modernises political communication and reaches younger audiences, but critics counter that it reduces complex issues to meme-ready packaging and threatens to blur the boundaries between governance and promotional content.
The White House has not offered an explanation for how the "Juno" video was approved, nor clarified whether internal guidelines govern music use on official platforms. Human-rights groups are calling for its removal and a public apology, while legal specialists say copyright questions may grow more pressing as the clip continues circulating online.
