Homeland Security Faces Backlash Over Unauthorized Use of Artists' Works in Deportation Campaigns
On December 31, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posted an artwork by Hiroshi Nagai on its X account, featuring a beach scene with messaging related to deportation. Nagai, a 78-year-old Japanese graphic designer known for his 1950s Americana-inspired city pop and dreamscape art, objected to the use of the image without his permission. This incident has highlighted ongoing concerns regarding DHS's pattern of using artists' works to promote its immigration agenda without obtaining consent.
The Guardian reported on this controversy but did not receive an official statement from DHS for its coverage. The Nagai case follows a similar July incident, when a Thomas Kinkade painting was used by DHS in its campaigns and subsequently condemned by the Kinkade Family Foundation. Additionally, there has been notable celebrity backlash against DHS's tactics, including singer Olivia Rodrigo criticizing the White House for utilizing her song in a deportation video and Sabrina Carpenter denouncing the use of her song "Juno" in content related to immigration raids.
DHS has responded to such criticisms with a general statement praising federal officers, but the broader issue remains the controversy over the agency leveraging art and music to bolster deportation efforts without artists' consent.
