US Homeland Security posts video splicing Pokemon theme with ICE arrest footage

In its latest display of the mawkish theatre of modern fascism, the US Homeland Security Department posted a video to its social media which splices together footage from what appear to be Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests and the 1997 Pokémon theme – ‘gotta catch ’em all’.

‘Gotta catch ’em all’? Absolute fucking horrorshow

My editor made me watch this and now you have to as well:

Gotta Catch ‘Em All. pic.twitter.com/qCvflkJGmB

— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) September 22, 2025

‘Department of Homeland Security’ appears across the screen in Pokémon’s yellow-over-blue font. It mingles clips of Ash, Brock and Misty from the anime with footage of agents blowing up houses and arresting people.

The video ends with photographs of (apparently real) undocumented immigrants edited onto Pokémon trading cards branded with the catchphrase “Gotta’ catch ’em all”. In place of the Pokemon’s moves, the cards display the crimes of which the individuals were convicted. The bottom left-hand corner shows a weakness to the ‘ice’ type. Each card has a low 1HP (hit point), because the enemy is both strong and weak.

The Department of Homeland Security obviously missed the message of the lyrics “You teach me and I’ll teach you” playing in the background.

Something is deeply wrong

I hope you enjoy this selection of tweets expressing outrage at the brazen authoritarianism of the DHS and ICE. I just had to sift through dozens of crude AI depictions of Ash Ketchum in a MAGA hat. The irony-poisoned alt-right keyboard warriors loved this one.

Several commenters speculated that we’ve become trapped in an artificial hell of our own making:

the world isnt real.. https://t.co/WDFJEgrCkE

— योशी (@diorastral) September 23, 2025

Or at least, America is an artificial hell of our own creation:

America isn’t a real place is it https://t.co/gfnmhK1wLQ

— Mark (@Markafc87) September 23, 2025

Something has gone very very off track:

Homeland security page using pokemon references?? ISTG what timeline are we living in???😭😭 https://t.co/wEEPgGQt4O

— キングギドラ (@monster0x0000) September 23, 2025

The Pokémon Company manages the IP, Nintendo manufactures games and consoles, both are quite bad actually if you just look at their history of over-zealous IP lawsuits

A lot of people celebrated Nintendo’s viscous pursuit of copyright infringement finally being put to good use:

@Nintendo get their ass https://t.co/a5ynUrHJN1

— Zelda | playing SILKSONG (@paintcreatesart) September 23, 2025

The journalist in me (I know this is a listicle of tweets, sometimes I write proper shit too) wants to point out that the Pokémon Company manages the IP of the multi-media franchise. It’s owned by Nintendo, sure, but also Game Freak and Creatures.

Anyway, the Pokémon Company successfully settled a $15m lawsuit against a Chinese company that appeared to use Pokémon designs:

nintendo is about to bankrupt the whole of america https://t.co/qbYwG24y1E

— woke na’avi (@tyrantleon) September 23, 2025

Seriously, a lot of people posted this:

SUE THE SHIT OUTTA THEM @Pokemon https://t.co/WhSuR3xygB

— moros (@morosfv) September 23, 2025

Gary Bowser, who sold hacking tools for Nintendo games, was charged with federal-level crimes and sentenced to three years in prison. Now, he owes Nintendo $10m from a civil settlement. The company docked his wages whilst working in the prison cafeteria and library. Just putting that out there.

this Nintendo v. The Department of Homeland Security case is about to be HOT https://t.co/R2SdPGQyB2

— izzy (@_summerwars) September 23, 2025

No laws were applied in the making of this movie

If pointing out the contradictions inherent to the Trump administration’s particular brand of third-rate authoritarianism (sans the Hugo Boss suits) even registered on them, the whole house of cards would have been brought down a long time ago.

Hi, we're Homeland Security. We think rules are super important. If you want to stay in America, you better obey our laws! Anyway here's a video where we commit copyright theft of the Pokémon IP, owing tens of millions of dollars in licensing fees & using it without permission https://t.co/Vgy4wT2DLZ

— 🏴‍☠️Maddox🏴‍☠️ (@maddoxrules) September 23, 2025

I actually found it refreshing to watch somebody *other than* a creator ruin a piece of beloved childhood media. I’d become used to the cycle of “remember that franchise you liked? Well the owner said that *insert minority group* aren’t people!” (I haven’t mentioned her by name, you can’t sue me).

At the time of writing, the Pokémon Company had not mentioned the use of its anime as propaganda for the second rise of fascism.

Featured image via the Canary