A new promotional video from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has ignited a firestorm of controversy by depicting Santa Claus handcuffing a migrant and processing another into jail. The AI-generated clip, released on December 22, 2025, is part of a campaign to encourage self-reporting and deportation.
Festive Fear: The Video's Content and Incentive
The video, shared on the official @ICEgov Twitter account, shows the iconic Christmas figure involved in enforcement actions, including tracking a deportation flight. It promotes a holiday incentive offering migrants living illegally in the U.S. up to $3,000 to self-deport using the CBP One app, with the promise of spending Christmas at home. This program is reportedly valid through the end of 2025.
Accompanied by a snippet of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's "Carol of the Bells," the message is clear: "AVOID ICE AIR AND SANTA'S NAUGHTY LIST! Self-deport today." This tactic follows a pattern by the Trump administration of using copyrighted music without permission, a practice recently called out by singer Sabrina Carpenter for promoting an "inhumane" agenda.
A Wave of Public Backlash and Accusations of Hypocrisy
The reaction online was swift and severe, with many viewers condemning the video as "evil," "sick," and "racist." A central theme of the criticism focuses on the perceived perversion of Christmas innocence and the hypocrisy of a political faction that often claims there is a "war on Christmas."
"Jesus would have despised this," wrote one observer, David P. "Mocking and threatening immigrants using Santa Claus is the opposite of everything he stood for, compassion, mercy, and care for the vulnerable. Ending it with 'Merry Christmas' doesn't sanctify it. It exposes the hypocrisy."
Other comments ranged from calling it "peak dystopia" to expressing sheer disbelief. User Kirk Patrick Miller pleaded, "Don't make Santa the person who removes people from their place of safety. Ever." The sentiment was echoed by many who felt the video blasphemed the spirit of the holiday.
Policy Context: Incentives Versus Enforcement Reality
The controversial video arrives amidst a broader Trump administration crackdown on immigration. While the $3,000 offer is framed as a voluntary incentive, a recent report contradicts administration claims of focusing solely on violent criminals. The data indicates that 75,000 people arrested in ICE raids during the first nine months of Trump's second term had no criminal history.
This disparity highlights the tension between promoted policies and on-the-ground enforcement, fueling accusations of dishonesty and cruelty. The ICE Santa video, for its detractors, has become a potent symbol of that tension—wrapping a harsh enforcement message in the deceptive, AI-generated veneer of Christmas cheer.
HuffPost has sought comment from a representative for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra regarding the unauthorized use of their music in the promotional clip. The video remains a flashpoint in the heated national debate over immigration, security, and the values ostensibly celebrated during the holiday season.
