White House Deportation Video Using ‘Closing Time’ Sparks Outrage: Semisonic Slams Unauthorized Use

White House Deportation Video Using ‘Closing Time’ Sparks Outrage: The White House has come under fire for posting video of the deportation of undocumented migrants, which is one of President Donald Trump's key policy pushes.

The concerned video shows immigrants walking in line while being processed for deportation. The immigrants were being escorted by border patrol agents. The video was to the 1983 pop hit "Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)" by the UK group Bananarama.

The post was also captioned chorus, "Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey, goodbye." The video seemingly has a celebratory tone while the immigrants's vulnerability is ignored, prompting harsh criticism.

"This is ghoulish behavior. Sociopathic. Shame on you," one X user wrote in response. Another chimed in: "It would be great if you guys stopped with the dehumanizing posts! It’s disgusting."

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"This isn't policy. This is state-sponsored dehumanisation - with a soundtrack. Weaponising suffering. Mocking lives torn apart. Celebrating cruelty like it's a game show. This is how fascism talks when it thinks no one can stop it. We see you. And we will stop you," wrote another.

According to an official statement from the White House, in March, the US Border Patrol encountered just 7,181 illegal immigrants at the southern border compared to the same month under former President Joe Biden - a 95 per cent decrease from 2024 (137,473), a 96 per cent decrease from 2023 (163,672), and a 97 per cent decrease from 2022 (211,181).

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This is not the first time that the White House has released a video with pop songs playing in the background. Last month, a similar deportation video featuring the band Semisonic's 'Closing Time' sparked controversy. The band, which was nominated for a Grammy for the 1998 song, said the White House had used the song without permission and had entirely misunderstood its meaning.

Others were more forceful in their condemnation, with one user calling it "state-sponsored dehumanization—with a soundtrack," adding, "Weaponizing suffering. Mocking lives torn apart. Celebrating cruelty like it’s a game show. This is how fascism talks when it thinks no one can stop it. We see you. And we will stop you."

In a statement, the White House defended the video, citing a sharp decline in illegal immigration at the southern border. "In March, the US Border Patrol encountered just 7,181 illegal immigrants at the southern border, a 95% decrease from 2024 and a 97% decrease from 2022," the statement noted. This statistic highlights the success of the administration’s immigration policies, according to the White House.

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