The Department of Homeland Security posted a Pokémon-themed video promoting immigration enforcement on September 22, 2025. It paired footage of ICE arrests with Pokémon imagery and music, used the franchise phrase “Gotta catch ’em all,” and closed with card-like graphics. Calling it “propaganda” is an editorial characterization of the post, not a neutral finding.
What was in the DHS Pokémon video?
Reports described a roughly one-minute montage that intercut ICE arrest footage with scenes and music associated with Pokémon. It used “Gotta catch ’em all”—the franchise’s familiar phrase—and ended with graphics styled like Pokémon cards. The video’s framing connected the language of collecting Pokémon with immigration arrests and deportations; that is an interpretation of its presentation, rather than a statement of the creators’ intent.
DHS posted the video on September 22, 2025. The White House’s official TikTok account also posted a version credited to DHS. Those accounts should not be conflated: DHS was identified as the source of the video, ICE arrest footage appeared in it, and the White House account shared a version. The Los Angeles Times reported the company’s response, Axios covered the backlash, and EL PAÍS described the White House post.
Did Pokémon give DHS permission?
No, according to Pokémon Company International. In a statement to the Los Angeles Times, the company said: “Our company was not involved in the creation or distribution of this content, and permission was not granted for the use of our intellectual property.” Axios also reported the statement.
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That is the company’s stated position; it is not a court ruling. The reporting cited here does not determine whether the use infringed copyright or whether a legal exception applies, nor does it establish the outcome of any later legal action.
What did DHS say?
Asked by PC Gamer about the unauthorized use, a DHS spokesperson replied: “To arrest them is our real test. To deport them is our cause.” The response echoed the rhythm of the Pokémon theme lyric. PC Gamer identified the speaker only as a DHS spokesperson. PC Gamer published the exchange.
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Why describe it as “propaganda”?
Here, “propaganda” is the article’s editorial framing for a government social-media post that used popular entertainment imagery and a recognizable franchise phrase to promote an enforcement message. The observable details are the montage, its slogans and graphics, the accounts that shared it, and the statements from DHS and Pokémon Company International. Calling the post propaganda is an interpretation of those details, not an independently established legal or official classification.
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What is—and is not—established
- DHS posted the video on September 22, 2025, and reports described it as roughly one minute long.
- The White House’s official TikTok account posted a version credited to DHS.
- Pokémon Company International said it did not create or distribute the content and had not granted permission to use its intellectual property.
- The cited statements and reports do not settle copyright liability, fair use, or any later legal action.
- The September 2025 coverage documents the posts at that time; it does not verify whether they remain available now.
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