Ariana Grande has publicly condemned the White House after one of her songs was featured in a social media video promoting immigration enforcement operations in the United States.
The dispute erupted after the White House shared a TikTok video showing officers from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detaining and handcuffing individuals. The clip was accompanied by Grande’s 2024 song “Bye” and carried the caption: “Bye-bye. President Trump has delivered the most secure border in history.”
Grande responded directly beneath the post, objecting to the use of her music alongside footage of immigration arrests.
“Please do not ever use my music in relation to this barbaric, inhumane, heinous nonsense. F*** ICE,” she wrote, according to entertainment publication Variety.
By Friday, the comment was no longer visible on the TikTok post. Representatives for the singer later confirmed that the message had been posted but said it was unclear why it had disappeared from public view.
The video itself remained online, but users noticed that the audio had been removed. TikTok now displays a notice stating: “This sound isn’t available.”
Sources close to Grande told Reuters that her team is exploring options to have the song removed from the White House video.
The White House swiftly pushed back against the criticism. Spokesperson Abigail Jackson defended the administration’s immigration policies, saying the truly “barbaric, inhumane, and heinous” acts were committed by “criminal illegal aliens” responsible for harming American citizens.
The administration’s response appeared to contain a subtle reference to Grande’s 2014 hit “One Last Time.”
The clash comes amid an intensified immigration crackdown under President Donald Trump, who returned to office in January 2025. Since then, the administration has expanded ICE operations in major cities while introducing measures designed to accelerate deportations and strengthen border enforcement.
The White House recently secured more than $70 billion in additional funding for immigration agencies for the remainder of Trump’s current term.
The tougher enforcement strategy has sparked demonstrations across the United States. Anti-ICE protests that began in Los Angeles following immigration raids have spread to cities including New York, Chicago, Boston and San Francisco, with critics accusing the administration of using aggressive tactics against migrants.
Grande has previously spoken out against Trump’s immigration policies. Last year, she questioned supporters of the president on social media, asking whether their lives had improved after migrants were “violently torn from their families and communities.”
This is not the first time musicians have objected to the use of their work in immigration-related government messaging.
In recent months, several high-profile artists have criticised the White House over similar videos. Olivia Rodrigo denounced officials after her song “All-American Bitch” was used in a clip encouraging undocumented migrants to leave the country. Sabrina Carpenter also attacked the administration after her song “Juno” appeared in an ICE-related video, while singer SZA accused the White House of using artists’ music as “rage bait” for publicity.
The controversy echoes disputes from Trump’s 2024 re-election campaign, when artists including ABBA, Céline Dion and Beyoncé publicly objected to their music being used at campaign events.
The latest political storm comes during a busy period for Grande. The Grammy-winning singer recently launched her 41-date “Eternal Sunshine” tour, her first concert tour since 2019, and is preparing to release her eighth studio album, “Petal”, on 31 July.
Its lead single, “Hate That I Made You Love Me”, debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Grande’s 10th chart-topping song in the United States.
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