DHS faces copyright backlash over Pokémon-themed immigration video

The Department of Homeland Security on Monday released a Pokémonthemed video that set footage of immigration arrests to the anime franchise's theme song and ended with mockedup trading cards of people the agency said it had arrested and deported, prompting a wave of online backlash and questions about possible copyright and legal consequences. The clip, posted to the department's X account and reportedly uploaded to the White House TikTok, juxtaposed dramatic footage of agents taking people into custody with animated Poké Ball imagery and the refrain "Gotta Catch Em All," drawing millions of views within a day.

The video splices images from the Pokémon anime and song with scenes from operations by Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and other federal officers. At the conclusion it displays several mock trading cards, labeled by DHS as the "Worst of the Worst," listing alleged crimes such as attempted murder, burglary and sexual assault alongside photos and identifying information. The post's caption paraphrases the Pokémon theme, reading in part, "To arrest them is our real test. To deport them is our cause," and Customs and Border Protection...