PORTLAND, Ore. — Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sparked national outrage on Sunday after posting a video to social media that showed federal agents hauling away a detained individual on a flatbed cart — all set to Chamillionaire’s 2005 hit song “Ridin’.”
The clip, shared on ICE’s official X account, showed a handcuffed person lying face down as agents wheeled them away. The caption read: “PORTLAND — Refuse to walk? We’ll give you a ride.”
The post, framed as a dark joke, came amid intensifying protests outside Portland’s ICE facility, where nightly demonstrations have continued since President Donald Trump announced plans to deploy National Guard troops to the city.
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Mockery Amid Martial Tensions
The video quickly went viral, drawing millions of views — and condemnation from across the political spectrum. The facility has been the focal point of repeated clashes between protesters and federal agents, many of whom are members of the Department of Homeland Security and Border Patrol Tactical Units.
The timing of the post raised eyebrows. Just one day earlier, Trump-appointed federal judge Karin Immergut blocked the president’s order to send troops to Portland, ruling that “this is a nation of Constitutional law, not martial law.”
Despite the ruling, federal authorities continued their operations around the downtown ICE building, while pro-Trump commentators online celebrated the agency’s post as a victory for federal dominance in liberal cities.
MAGA World Cheers the “Ride”
Prominent far-right figures rushed to praise ICE’s mocking tone. Conservative provocateur Laura Loomer commented, “I love this account.” Influencer Gunther Eagleman added, “LOL! I voted for this.”
Even Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier weighed in, writing, “Florida will never become Portland, but this new technique is noted.”
Other MAGA-aligned social media accounts called the video “incredible content,” laughing at the spectacle of federal officers dragging away a protester.
The official White House X account even reposted the video, a move critics say further politicizes a federal agency and normalizes public humiliation as a government communications tactic.
Critics Condemn ICE’s “Propaganda”
Across the political aisle, reaction was fierce. Civil rights groups, journalists, and former government staffers denounced ICE’s behavior as unprofessional and dehumanizing.
“We have to completely uproot and abolish this agency,” said the left-leaning advocacy group Debt Collective.
Investigative journalist Marcy Wheeler (known online as @emptywheel) questioned the agency’s priorities, tweeting, “Why is ICE still making propaganda during a government shutdown?”
Former Democratic campaign staffer Timothy Bellman called the post “disgusting,” adding, “It’s a choice to do this — to film it, edit it, add music, and post it from an official government account. That’s not enforcement. That’s propaganda.”
ICE’s Troubled History with Pop Culture Stunts
This isn’t the first time ICE or its parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been criticized for blending pop culture into law enforcement messaging.
Last month, Pokémon Company International accused DHS of using copyrighted imagery without permission in a Pokémon-themed roundup video celebrating immigration raids. The company publicly condemned the move, saying it had “no affiliation or approval” for such use.
Similarly, comedian Theo Von said DHS used his audio without consent in a previous raid montage, calling the edit “gross and out of context.”
These repeated stunts have led to growing concerns that DHS and ICE are using social media for entertainment value rather than transparency or accountability.
Federal Silence Amid Backlash
As of late Sunday, ICE and DHS had not responded to multiple media inquiries about the Portland video or the ensuing backlash. The Daily Beast also confirmed it reached out to Chamillionaire’s representatives for comment on the unauthorized use of his song.
Meanwhile, Portland’s protests show no sign of slowing down. Demonstrators continue to gather nightly outside the ICE facility, calling for restraint from federal agents and an end to what they describe as “performative cruelty.”
In a city already weary of militarized presence and political tension, ICE’s “Ridin’” post has only deepened the divide — turning a moment of enforcement into a viral symbol of federal overreach, mockery, and moral misfire.
