Radiohead, a British rock group, blasted Trump’s ICE for featuring their song in a promotional video without permission. On February 19, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement released a video using a version of Radiohead’s “Let Down”.
Amid US President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration, ICE’s immigration enforcement tactics have drawn massive criticism from human rights advocates. In a statement to the media, Radiohead said: “We demand that amateurs controlling the ICE social media account take it down. It’s not a joke, this song means a lot to us and other people and you won’t appropriate it without a fight,” Reuters reported.
The soundtrack to the song Let Down can be heard in the video. This ICE video shows a montage of victims of violence that has been attributed to illegal immigrants in the US.
According to Radiohead, the song was used without the band’s permission.
Reaction on social networks
In response to this development, one user wrote: “It’s less about the song and more about the implied endorsement. Artists protecting their brand is a master class in soft power – the subtle ‘no you can’t use my vibe.’
Another user commented: “Someone has never heard of the Streisand effect.
A third comment read: “Too bad they don’t own the publishing rights to that song. It still belongs to EMI.”
A fourth user said: “I love it! I don’t understand why MAGA keeps doing this. I’m sure there are plenty of musicians who would love to let them use their music: Jellyroll, Ted Nugent, Kid Rock, Carrie Underwood, Lee Greenwood, Snoop Dogg, Kanye West, Nikki Minaj. Check out their catalogs, go crazy.”
A fifth user said: “So music and art in general can be political @radiohead.”
A sixth user wrote: “Too bad the record company owns the rights to all their work and will license it to anyone who pays them.
What is ICE?
Established in March 2003 as part of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Homeland Security. The agency was created after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 to “protect national security and maintain public safety.”
The controversial agency became the largest and best-funded federal law enforcement agency in the U.S. during Trump’s second term following the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill of 2025.
ICE plans to expand its detention centers
ICE plans to spend $38.3 billion to convert warehouses across the country into immigration detention centers, The Washington Post reported. According to documents shared with New Hampshire’s governor and posted on the state’s website Feb. 12, ICE intends to acquire 16 buildings across the country and retrofit each to hold 1,000 to 1,500 detainees as regional processing centers.
