Video of Immigrants in Chains, Handcuffs Shared As 'ASMR' By White House Leaves Users in Shock: 'Completely Inappropriate'

A White House tweet featuring a video of shackled immigrants boarding a deportation flight, captioned as "ASMR," has sparked widespread outrage, with many calling it dehumanizing and "completely inappropriate."

On Tuesday, the Seattle office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) released a video showing a group of undocumented immigrants being deported.

The footage, which included images of detainees in handcuffs and chains, was originally shared with the caption: "REMOVAL FLIGHT. A group of undocumented aliens are flown from Seattle as part of a process to finalize return to their home countries."

The White House later reposted an edited version of the video, labeling it "ASMR," a term typically associated with calming or pleasurable sounds.

The White House's 41-second video shows close-ups of handcuffs and chains being placed on the tarmac, immigrants walking with their feet bound and an officer adjusting a detainee's collar. The video quickly went viral, garnering more than 6.4 million interactions on X.

While some social media users praised the video, calling it a strong stance on immigration enforcement, many condemned it as unnecessarily cruel and inhumane.

"Completely inappropriate to be making an ASMR joke like this as the White House account," one user commented. Another wrote, "ASMR? this is a serious event taking place."

The backlash against the White House's use of "ASMR" in the post has been swift. Critics argue that the administration's attempt to make a deportation flight seem like entertainment is deeply inappropriate.

The controversy has also renewed debates over immigration enforcement tactics and the ethical implications of publicly sharing such footage.