White House Uses Bad Bunny and Drake Songs in New ICE Deportation Videos: ‘You’re Going Home’

The White House has drawn considerable backlash and raised ethical questions from the music community by incorporating tracks from global superstars Bad Bunny and Drake into promotional videos for President Donald Trump’s aggressive deportation initiatives.

Published on Thursday, July 30, a controversial TikTok clip released by the White House pairs Bad Bunny’s 2025 hit “La Mudanza”—which peaked at No. 51 on the Billboard Hot 100—with rapid-fire imagery of President Trump, followed by footage of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detaining undocumented individuals. The video superimposes altered text reading, “A round of applause for Donald J. Trump because he really crushed it,” playfully adapting the track’s original Spanish lyrics.

The post’s official caption boldly declared, “Estamos haciendo a América grande otra vez” (Making America great again).

While receiving praise from the administration’s loyal base, the comment section quickly flooded with fierce condemnation. Users expressed disbelief with remarks such as, “The audacity!” and “Keep Bad Bunny’s name out of this,” alongside broader condemnations of the administration’s stance on immigration.

The following day, Friday, July 31, the administration doubled down with a second music-backed deportation video, this time utilizing Drake’s track “Hoe Phase” from his acclaimed album MADE OF HONOUR, which previously climbed to No. 3 on the Billboard 200. The footage displays military-style helicopters, aircraft, aerial views of the U.S.–Mexico border, and enforcement raids by ICE. Accompanying text adapted a line from the song—“Did you forget about back home?”—while the caption warned, “Let us remind you if you’re here illegally, you’re going home.”

Similar to the initial post, the Drake-backed TikTok video provoked heavy criticism, with commenters pivoting to demand transparency regarding unrelated political controversies.

Representatives for Bad Bunny, Drake, and the White House have been approached by industry publications for official statements.

These social media campaigns align with President Trump’s relentless focus on border security and undocumented removals. Since reclaiming the presidency in January 2025, the administration has systematically broadened immigration enforcement protocols, making mass deportations a cornerstone of domestic policy.

Both featured artists have previously voiced opposition to the administration’s rhetoric and policies. Bad Bunny, a proud native of the U.S. territory Puerto Rico, has consistently challenged ICE operations. During his acceptance speech for best música urbana album at the 2026 Grammy Awards, he passionately asserted, “We’re not savages, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans, and we are Americans.”

Similarly, Toronto-born rapper Drake has openly condemned the administration’s divisive politics. Addressing a massive crowd during his February 2017 London concert on the Boy Meets World Tour, he criticized the administration’s early political maneuvers, stating, “Every day I wake up and see all this hostility in the world, people trying to tear us apart and turn us against each other. My proudest moment is looking around this room and seeing people from every race and background.”

He continued, “If you genuinely believe one individual can shatter this world, you’ve lost your mind. It falls upon us to stand united.”

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