The acclaimed British rock group Radiohead has issued a forceful demand for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to remove a promotional video that featured their music without authorization, the band announced Friday.
The federal immigration agency recently published a video incorporating a version of Radiohead’s track “Let Down” as background music. The video displayed a compilation of violence victims that ICE linked to individuals living in the United States without legal status.
In a strongly-worded statement released to news organizations, the band expressed their outrage: “We demand that the amateurs in control of the ICE social media account take it down. It ain’t funny, this song means a lot to us and other people, and you don’t get to appropriate it without a fight.”
The musical group emphasized that ICE used their composition without obtaining proper authorization from the band.
ICE officials had not provided a response to requests for comment as of Friday evening.
The federal agency has faced widespread criticism from civil liberties organizations during the current administration’s aggressive approach to immigration enforcement and deportation operations. Human rights groups have particularly condemned ICE following the January shooting deaths of two American citizens by federal officers in Minnesota.
Advocacy organizations report that the enforcement campaign has fostered an atmosphere of fear among both citizens and immigrants, particularly affecting minority communities.
Since early 2026 began, at least eight individuals have perished while in ICE custody facilities nationwide, adding to the 31 fatalities recorded during the previous year.
Civil rights advocates have also expressed concerns about First Amendment protections and legal due process regarding ICE’s detention and deportation efforts targeting foreign nationals who participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations opposing Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
The current administration has defended its enforcement strategy as necessary to address unauthorized immigration and enhance national security.
Radiohead joins numerous other entertainment industry figures who have previously criticized the immigration agency’s policies and practices.
