Leaked ICE Chats Promote 'Influencer-Style' Content; Migrant Chase Videos, Mug Shots, and Shackling for Posts

Leaked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) internal chats have exposed what investigators describe as a dramatic shift in how US immigration enforcement communicates with the public.

According to a report by The Washington Post published this week, the agency's public affairs unit transformed into an 'influencer-style media operation' under the Trump administration, prioritising viral content over factual accuracy.

The internal messages allegedly show officials discussing edited deportation videos, staged arrest footage, and coordinated efforts to portray migrants as dangerous criminals, even when detainees had no criminal records.

The revelations raise serious questions about government transparency and the use of social media as a political tool.

Social Media Feel of ICE A Bit Too 'Influencer Thingy'

In The Washington Post report published on Tuesday, internal communications of the ICE public affairs unit reveal that the organisation turned into an 'influencer-style media' operation under Trump, in the second term of his tenure.

The messages describe an intentional attempt to create and spread dramatic, Reddit-style raid videos, frequently at the expense of fact-checking to match the demands of the White House.

These strategies were necessary to strengthen the administration's hardline immigration policy and win political backing, even when the images failed to reflect the realities on the ground.

In one notable Los Angeles case on X (formerly Twitter) feed of the agency, the number of posts shot up dramatically, with only three in the morning and 38 in the evening, sharing unlawful mugshots and videos of migrants being forcefully detained, chased, or shackled.

The public affairs team was reported to be overworked, and it was advised to concentrate on making eye-catching material that would impress viewers and meet political requirements.

Some officials were uneasy about the transmission of misinformation, but others seemed to enjoy the challenge of formulating provocative stories.

They Omit 'Some Parts' Of The Video

Authorities tried to emphasise the history of egregious immigration or other sensational information to make the most of the media.

In the case of ICE personnel, there was a question as to whether a deportation flight video recorded in Texas could be edited to remove women, indicating that ICE is open to manipulating the footage to create the desired message.

One of the officials confessed that there are cases when footage is omitted when it was not able to prove the slogan of attacking only the most dangerous or criminal migrants.

'White House Authorises Editing Videos'

ICE Assistant Director of Public Affairs, Emily Covington, asked about editing a video of a deportation flight targeting females, and a producer assured her they would go ahead and re-edit the footage.

Covington would later defend this practice by noting that during the previous administration, the department was never allowed to share information, but under Trump, ICE was finally able to do its work and be open about its activities.

The internal messages show a strong partnership with the White House, which also called on the agency to produce videos highlighting arrests and confrontations to make immigration enforcement appear essential to national security.

For example, city officials discussed editing a video of an arrest in Houston to highlight the danger, even though the criminal histories of the arrested individuals were unknown.

ICE Uses Songs Without Consent

Other shocking disclosures relate to copyright infringement. ICE and DHS have repeatedly used copyrighted music and images without authorisation, despite having staff notice it. Some videos, such as those with music by MGMT, Jay-Z, Olivia Rodrigo, and Sabrina Carpenter, were removed due to complaints by rights owners or famous people.

These breaches represent one of the trends of exploiting sensational content to attract more reach, regardless of legal restrictions. It reached a middle ground of prioritising the danger of illegal immigrants behind the wheel, and a soundtrack was selected that would leverage the most out of viral publicity, including a rap song that would subsequently be used without authorisation.

Their Ways of Creating Content

The probe also exposes the harmful extent to which ICE staff had to go to generate content. Officers with phones were sent to conduct raids or arrests when professional videographers were unavailable.

The dangers are seen in the case of one of the public affairs officers who was hospitalised after being struck by a rock during a raid at a marijuana farm in California.

ICE employees said they were deployed to some of the most dangerous scenes in T-shirts and without protective equipment, but the agency states it currently provides them with the necessary safety equipment.

The absence of official videographers led to the deployment of ICE officers into the field at times at the expense of their well-being. During a raid, one of the officers was wounded, and others said they were being taken to the scenes without adequate protective equipment.

Internal ads indicate that officers are involved in enforcement, publishing photos and videos of prisoners, and, in some cases, not even considering accuracy or safety.

The current social media campaign was fierce because the White House focused on 'flooding the airwaves.'

In the case of protests in Los Angeles in June, ICE has made almost hourly updates, quickly expanding its presence online to drive its arrests and border enforcement.

The agency also considered hiring military-grade so-called combat cameras to record protests, but some safety and propriety concerns were raised.

Adding Insults To Migrants

Some employees were taken aback by the dialect and crass jokes that became prevalent in company emails as the volume of content increased.

There were images of migrants being mocked, memes and jokes concerning detainees were shared, which is indicative of a culture of crassness and dehumanisation.

The primary social media account of DHS labelled protesters in Illinois as 'imbecilic morons' and mug shot montages dedicated to Halloween threats by creatures and criminals of the night are another example of the aggressive, provocative style.

Leveraging With Far-Right Influencers

The chat leaks also reveal how the agency's social media work had evolved into a means of gaining favour among influential conservative individuals.

Right-wing commentators and influencers such as Charlie Kirk, Dr Phil, and Libs of TikTok were allowed to have a unique look at the operations of the ICE, often being brought along in a raid and interviewing officials.

Millions of views of content in these interactions were generated, enhancing the administration's story and driving favourable media coverage.

Even with the offensive media campaigns, the opinion polls show that not much has been influenced in the minds of Americans regarding immigration. In July, a Gallup survey found strong support for immigration, with 79% viewing it positively for the nation.

At the same time, approximately 62% disapproved of the way Trump was handling immigration matters.

Critics claim that the excessive, eye-catching social media campaign did not really influence people much, but many within DHS were proud of their actions and believed it was necessary to make political promises.