Santa Claus Is an ICE Agent in Ad Pushing Self-Deportation
A Santa Claus clad in tactical gear has become the unexpected face of a new holiday-themed campaign from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to The Independent. An AI-generated video released by ICE features a muscular Santa wearing a red suit, white beard, bulletproof vest, and weapons as he works alongside ICE officers to detain migrants on a city street, process them at an immigration facility, and escort one individual onto a plane. The Santa character bears an ICE logo on his chest, and the video encourages people living in the U.S. without legal status to “avoid Santa’s naughty list” by leaving the country voluntarily.
The video promotes a voluntary departure program that, according to the Department of Homeland Security, offers eligible undocumented immigrants $3,000 and a free flight to their home country if they choose to self-deport, the New York Daily News reports. DHS says the financial incentive has been tripled for the holiday season and will remain available through the end of 2025 as part of a broader strategy to encourage voluntary returns rather than formal enforcement actions. The New York Post reports that nearly two million people have self-deported since President Trump took office.
The Santa-themed video follows other Christmas-related immigration messaging under the Trump administration. These have included images of armed agents wearing Santa hats—one holding a ballistic shield wrapped in Christmas lights and labeled “Merry Christmas”—shared alongside the slogan “YOU’RE GOING HO HO HOME.” DHS has also circulated a GIF showing President Trump’s signature dance superimposed on Santa’s sleigh, reflecting a wider effort to use memes, social media trends, and pop culture imagery to promote the administration’s deportation policies.
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