The Pokémon Firm has responded after the White Home posted a video displaying Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arresting folks, set to the Pokémon anime’s theme tune, on TikTok.
The video, captioned ‘Gotta Catch ‘Em All’, was set to the tune and was shared to the official White Home TikTok account and the Division of Homeland Safety’s (DHS) X (Twitter) account earlier this week.
Within the video, footage of ICE officers arresting folks is interspersed with pictures of Pokémon protagonist Ash Ketchum throwing a Poké Ball, and the video finishes with a sequence of customized Pokémon playing cards that includes photographs of individuals arrested and their alleged crimes.
On the time of writing, the video has amassed virtually 70million views on X and eight.2million on TikTok.
Gotta Catch ‘Em All. pic.twitter.com/qCvflkJGmB
— Homeland Safety (@DHSgov) September 22, 2025
Many Pokémon followers on-line reacted with anger and protest, some urging The Pokémon Firm to sue the US authorities. And the corporate has now responded.
In a press release given to Selection earlier in the present day (September 24), The Pokémon Firm Worldwide confirmed it was not concerned within the video, saying: “We’re conscious of a latest video posted by the Division of Homeland Safety that features imagery and language related to our model. Our firm was not concerned within the creation or distribution of this content material, and permission was not granted for the usage of our mental property.”
Hey @Pokemon please sue the hell out of the federal government. https://t.co/cqdPTQpUDf
— FVLAM (Austin) (@FVLAM) September 22, 2025
The assertion comes a day after comic Theo Von posted one in every of his personal on X. After the DHS used one in every of his audio clips in a new-deleted video about deportations, he wrote: “Yooo DHS I didn’t approve for use on this. I do know you already know my deal with so ship a test. And please take this down and please hold me out of your ‘banger’ deportation movies,” Von wrote on X. “Relating to immigration my ideas and coronary heart are much more nuanced than this video permits. Bye!”
Yooo DHS i didnt approve for use on this. I do know you already know my deal with so ship a test. And please take this down and please hold me out of your ‘banger’ deportation movies. Relating to immigration my ideas and coronary heart are alot extra nuanced than this video permits. Bye! https://t.co/5v5gagf4Dr
— Theo Von (@TheoVon) September 24, 2025
Final month, an ICE video that includes Jay-Z’s 2003 tune ‘Public Service Announcement’ was hit with a copyright takedown, whereas San Francisco rockers Black Insurgent Motorbike Membership issued a cease-and-desist discover to the DHS in July after a recruitment video included their music. They completed their assertion on Instagram by writing, “Oh, and go f… yourselves.”
Different artists have instructed Donald Trump to cease utilizing their music, too. Final 12 months, throughout his marketing campaign for the US presidency, he misplaced a authorized battle over utilizing Eddy Grant’s ‘Electrical Avenue’ with out permission, whereas ABBA demanded he cease utilizing their music at rallies, Jack White instructed his marketing campaign to not “even consider using my music” after a clip of ‘Seven Nation Military’ was used, and Foo Fighters, Spinal Faucet and Isaac Hayes’ property all took motion.
Quite a lot of different artists have spoken out in opposition to ICE and the DHS in latest months, too. Ethel Cain, Sophie Thatcher and Boy Harsher had been amongst over 100 artists backing a marketing campaign calling for the abolishment of ICE in June, the identical month as Finneas mentioned he was tear-gassed at a peaceable protest in opposition to the company.
Tom Morello shared a “Fuck ICE” playlist in August, and Dangerous Bunny mentioned earlier this month that he received’t embrace the US in his forthcoming world tour on account of fears of ICE raiding his concert events.
