Photo Credit: Sharon Alagna

A recent ICE recruitment video has been hit with a copyright strike after reportedly using a Jay-Z song in the background. On August 10th, a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) propaganda video was posted to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) social media accounts. The video was taken down after using JAY-Z’s 2003 song “Public Service Announcement”.

 

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The recruitment video, which was originally posted to Twitter, Instagram and Facebook this past Monday, displays footage of agents doing training, breaking down doors and conducting immigration raids. They urged viewers to “Hunt Cartels. Save America”. The tweet is now disabled and displays the message, “This media has been disabled in response to a report by the copyright owner”, though the clip is still on Instagram and Facebook with the song removed. 

One commenter remarks, “Using a Jay-Z song while also threatening to sue Beyoncé?” pointing out the irony of the agency using this song after President Donald Trump called for the prosecution of music superstar Beyoncé “based on something that did not actually happen”.

The song choice is an interesting one, considering the fact that Jay-Z not only has been openly critical about the Trump administration, but also due to the song’s messaging being about the rapper’s experience being a former drug dealer. As reported by Consequence, the agency has used several other” songs for their promotional videos, including in a previous video where ICE used the KRS-One protest song “Sound of Da Police,” in which he raps: “There could never really be justice on stolen land.”