Ariana Grande slams White House for using her song in Trump immigration video

• Grande condemned the White House for using her 2024 song "Bye" without permission
• The song featured in a video promoting the Trump-signed Secure America Act funding ICE
• Grande joins Rodrigo, Carpenter and Glynne in speaking out against unauthorised music use

Ariana Grande has publicly condemned the White House after her 2024 song "Bye" was used without her consent in a video promoting the Trump-signed Secure America Act — legislation designed to fund ICE and Border Patrol — with the three-time Grammy winner calling the content "barbaric, inhumane, heinous nonsense."

Grande posted her objection directly in the comments of the White House video, a response first reported by Reuters. "Please do not ever use my music ⁠in relation to this barbaric, inhumane, heinous nonsense," she wrote.

The White House did not stay silent. Spokesperson Abigail Jackson fired back, saying: "We'll say this one last time: what's actually barbaric, inhumane, and heinous are the criminal illegal ‌aliens ⁠who have injured and murdered innocent American citizens."

A growing list of artists pushing back

Grande is not the first artist to call out the Trump administration over the unauthorised use of music in immigration-related content. Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter and Jess Glynne have all previously condemned the administration for using their songs in ICE propaganda videos.

ICE deployments and mounting scrutiny

Since the start of his second term, US President Donald Trump has moved aggressively against undocumented immigrants across the country. The Department of Homeland Security has significantly ramped up recruitment for ICE agents, who have been deployed across several major cities including Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Miami, and Atlanta.

ICE has since faced intensifying public criticism following the deaths of three US citizens — Alex Pretti, Renee Good, and Keith Porter Jr.