Sabrina Carpenter condemns the use of her song “Juno” in an ICE raid video: “It’s evil and disgusting”

The controversy erupted after the White House posted a video on social media showing ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raids set to the song “Juno,” by Sabrina Carpenter, the 26-year-old American singer-songwriter.

In the clip, the lyric “Have you ever tried this one?” loops over scenes of police chases, arrests and handcuffing. The post itself included the caption “Bye-bye.”

Sabrina Carpenter’s reaction

Carpenter reacted sharply. On her X account she wrote: “This video is evil and disgusting. Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.” With that, she distanced her work from what she called an “inhumane agenda,” making clear she had not authorized its use to promote immigration raids.

This is not the first time the Donald Trump administration has turned to popular songs to back its immigration policies. Last November, another major artist, Olivia Rodrigo, also denounced the use of one of her songs in a video promoting the “self-deportation” of immigrants.

The use of viral tracks in this type of content has drawn mounting criticism – from accusations that it trivializes migration and human rights, to questions over the ethics of wielding intellectual property for political purposes.

This episode goes beyond a dispute over copyright and opens a direct clash over how culture is instrumentalized to legitimize aggressive immigration policies. When a global pop figure publicly rejects such use, it highlights the tension between artistic expression, social awareness and political propaganda.

It also exposes how vulnerable artists can be when their work is repurposed or manipulated for aims they do not share, an ethical affront with real consequences in public opinion.

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