Pokémon protests Department of Homeland Security ‘Gotta Catch ‘Em All’ post

by

The Pokémon Company, creators of the famous Pokémon franchise, has stated they don’t want their characters appearing in political propaganda.

This week, the Department of Homeland Security shared a video on social media that used Pokémon imagery to depict ICE raids.

It was immediately obvious this was connected to the classic franchise: the familiar theme song started, the original animation style was used, and even the iconic blue and yellow text appeared on screen.

The video upset a lot of fans. The Japanese gaming company stated that the government agency didn’t have permission to use their content.

The Pokémon Company International has released a statement regarding a recent video from the Department of Homeland Security. The statement confirms the video used images and wording connected to the Pokémon brand without the company’s knowledge or permission. Pokémon Company International stated they were not involved in making or sharing the video and did not authorize the use of their copyrighted material, according to a statement given to The Times.

The Pokémon-inspired video is still live on the agency’s X account.

The video featured the Pokémon theme song, including the famous line “Gotta catch ‘em all,” playing alongside footage of federal agents arresting people. It also showed images of Pokémon characters and the Pokéballs used to catch them in the game.

The presentation ended with some really unsettling mock-ups of Pokémon cards. They featured photos of prisoners, and shockingly, included their full names, what they were accused of, and all the specifics of their crimes and sentences. It was a bizarre and disturbing thing to see.

I’ve noticed the Department of Homeland Security’s social media is really eye-catching! They’re using a lot of images and videos that feel familiar, like things you’d see in popular movies or TV shows – it definitely grabs your attention.

I saw a video last month that used Jay-Z’s song “Public Service Announcement,” but unfortunately, it got taken down pretty quickly. Apparently, someone filed a copyright claim, so it had to be removed. It’s a shame, because it was a cool use of the track!

The Department of Homeland Security recently shared a video on its social media account that included audio from the movie “The Batman” and displayed a Bible verse. The agency has also used artwork from artists such as Thomas Kinkade, Morgan Weistling, and John Gast in its posts.

Comedian Theo Von recently expressed frustration after the Department of Homeland Security used a clip of him in one of their videos. The clip featured him saying, “Heard you got deported, dude,” while shaking his head, and was edited into a DHS video.

He posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, asking people to remove him from videos about deportations. He explained that his views on immigration are more complex than those videos suggest and asked to be left out of them.

The video has since been taken down.

Read More

2025-09-25 22:01