Department of Homeland Security (DHS) social media feeds have seen major tone and style shifts since President Donald Trump returned to office in January, prompting criticism from some artists and musicians.
On X, the department regularly tweets out mugshots of arrested immigrants to their 1.7 million followers, interspersed with memes and art depicting classic Americana.
On July 1, the department posted an image of the late artist Thomas Kinkade's painting "Morning Pledge," which depicts an idyllic small-town American street at sunrise, with the caption "Protect the Homeland."
Artist Thomas Kinkade speaks about his art at the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations VIP Reception at Niche Lounge, Nov. 9, 2006 in New York City.
Brad Barket/Getty Images
The Kinkade Family Foundation responded to the X post in a statement on their website.
"The use of his artwork was unauthorized, and we have requested that DHS remove the post, and we are consulting with our counsel on our options," they wrote. "At The Kinkade Family Foundation, we strongly condemn the sentiment expressed in the post and the deplorable actions that DHS continues to carry out."
As of publication, the post is still up.
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In a post later that month, the department used a painting by the contemporary artist Morgan Weistling -- known for his Old West paintings -- portraying early American settlers in a covered wagon, which the page identified as "New Life in a New Land."
The department captioned it "Remember your Homeland's Heritage."
In a statement on his website, the artist objected to the use of his painting -- which is actually titled "A Prayer for a New Life" -- saying that it was "used without my permission."
On Instagram, where the pages for DHS, CBP, and ICE have a combined audience of over a million followers, there has been a focus on short video content. In the seven months since former South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem was sworn in as DHS secretary, the department has posted 167 Instagram reels. That's more than the Biden administration posted in the entire year of 2023.
The department's Instagram posts have taken on a very different tone to its X ones, interspersing highly produced recruitment videos scored by rock and rap music with humorous videos using the "audios" popular on TikTok and Reels.
At least two of these videos had music removed after complaints from the artists and brands who created them.
Robert Levon Been, Leah Shapiro and Peter Hayes of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club performs on stage, Nov. 30, 2017 in Milan, Italy.
Sergione Infuso/Corbis via Getty Images
In July, the department used rock band Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's version of traditional folk song "God's Gonna Cut You Down" in a video of Noem accompanying agents on an aerial patrol. The band posted a statement criticizing the use of their song to their Instagram.
"It's obvious that you don't respect Copyright Law and Artist Rights any more than you respect Habeas Corpus and Due Process rights, not to mention the separation of Church and State per the US Constitution." It also told the department to "go f… yourselves."
That music no longer plays on the DHS video.
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Hopping on to a popular internet trend, the department used a snippet of an ad for the British low cost air carrier Jet2 and the music of British singer Jess Glynne. The video featured migrants being loaded onto deportation flights, apparently intending to create a humorous contrast between an ad for a vacation getaway and the administration's efforts.
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"Our branding has become something of a viral phenomenon this summer and we are pleased to see how many people have used it in good humour," a Jet2 spokesperson said in a statement sent to ABC News.
However, it noted that the department's use of its ad "is not endorsed by us in any way, and we are very disappointed to see our brand being used to promote Government policy such as this."
That video also now shows as "audio unavailable."
Cynthia Katz, a partner at New York law firm Fox Rothschild and expert in copyright law, told ABC News that while the music may have been licensed by the social media platforms for the personal use of their members, those licenses don't extend to commercial use.
"What I would recommend, if I were representing an agency, is get a license in every single instance," she said.
While agencies like DHS could argue "fair use" -- that the music was being used for commentary, criticism or educational purposes -- the nature of the department's use of the audio makes that argument more difficult, according to Katz. She said that if an agency is not "espousing a specific policy action, you have a better argument that it's a non-commercial use."
In its response to ABC News' request for comment, the department did not address questions about use of copyrighted material or artists' objections.
"The Department of Homeland Security is bypassing the mainstream media to give Americans the facts, debunk the lies, and unapologetically celebrate our homeland, heritage, and the rule of law," Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said. "We are pleased that the media is highlighting DHS's historic successes in making America safe again."
Several other artists whom ABC News reached out said that they did not support their music being used in this manner.
Folk singer Woody Guthrie poses for a portrait with his guitar, circa 1943.
Donaldson Collection/Library of Congress via Getty Images
The estate of folk artist Woody Guthrie, who died in 1967, emailed a statement about the use of a cover of his song "This Land Is Your Land" in a July 30 X post.
"Boy, did the DHS ever get it wrong!" they wrote. "If they want to get it right they should watch Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen's performance at Obama's inaugural concert. That's the gold standard. So now, it looks like we'll all have to sing 'This Land Is Your Land' right back at 'em, so they can re-learn it and get it right."
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The estate of rock musician Tom Petty, who has been dead since 2017, also objected to the use of his song "Won't Back Down" in a June 13 Instagram post.
"The use of the song in connection with the Dept of Homeland security is completely unauthorized. Petty Legacy were never asked, and the song never licensed," they wrote in an emailed statement. "Cease and desist legal orders will be issued to stop this abuse of Tom's song."
Attempting to play the audio on the June 14 post results in a "This song is currently unavailable" message.
Copyright lawyer Katz told ABC News that taking the music down is the common practice in cases like these, as subsequent uses opens them to further liability.
Tom Petty, backed by his band, The Heartbreakers, performs during a 1980 Santa Cruz, Calif., concert.
George Rose/Getty Images
Petty's estate previously challenged Trump's use of his music at campaign rallies, issuing a cease and desist in 2020.